


Stage Left

by TheMinsk



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Awkward Parents, Drama Club Shenanigans, F/M, Fluffy with a touch of angst, awkward teenage mess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:07:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 52,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25264333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMinsk/pseuds/TheMinsk
Summary: Ben Solo, high school senior and president of the Drama Club, has had a thing for the popular field hockey star Rey Patine since she moved to their school in Sophmore year. When she inexplicably joins the Stage Crew during the fall play, it creates more drama than Ben knows how to handle.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 68
Kudos: 67





	1. Drama King

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! I know it's been a while since I've written anything, but a serious concussion knocked me on my ass for almost two years and I thought I would never write again. But this idea popped into my head last night and won't leave me alone, so I hope you enjoy!

Shit, he was staring again.

Ben Solo ducked his head down quickly, glancing at the lumpy slop his school considered to be mashed potatoes while he wondered if anyone had noticed him gawking at Rey Patine from across the cafeteria. She was sitting with her field hockey friends and a few guys from the track team as always, a group of ridiculously beautiful, athletic, and popular kids that wanted nothing to do with him and his table of theatre misfits. Thankfully, his friends hadn't noticed and were laughing at some joke he hadn't heard, something about Finn having to kiss Rose during one of their scenes in the fall drama, "Destiny Be Damned."

He cracked a smile for his friend's benefit, knowing that even though Rose and Finn had dated for six months back in 10th grade, Finn was now a firm player for the other team and was not looking forward to their on-stage lip-lock.

"Just bring some breath mints," Rose sighed. "Your love of Takis might wind up making me break character to barf all over you."

"Yeah, yeah, tell that to my lower back, which is still recovering from having to bend down to kiss you every day for 6 months." Finn laughed at Rose's scrunched up face and Ben had to smile too. They might not be the most popular kids at school, but they had each other, and it was enough to keep Ben from being the weird loser kid he had been for most of his life before finding drama club.

To be perfectly honest, Ben had never been a very social kid, but entering middle school had been nothing short of torture. He was the tallest kid in his class, all big ears and long limbs and a nose that swallowed up his face. He'd been so used to bullying that he had simply accepted it as his lot in life, until his parents had urged him to join a club and make new friends. Nothing else at the club fair had interested him, until he spotted the flamboyant booth for Drama Club and signed up for it on a whim.

And it turned out that he loved it. Furthermore, what was even more surprising was the fact that he was good at it.

Really good at it.

So good that he had been the lead in both the fall drama and spring musical for three years in a row. So good that the seniors and upperclassmen from previous years didn't even mind that he got the best roles. So good that he had already sent in his early applications to Julliard and the Tisch Drama school at NYU for college next year.

So good that people told him to skip school altogether and move to LA to start his career without going to college at all. 

His parents would never allow it though. They loved Ben's passion for theatre, and encouraged him to get a proper educational foundation before starting his career. Ben lived for being on the stage, and the drive to get on Broadway was incentive enough to want training at the best of schools. 

But while drama club had helped him socialize and stop being as awkward as he used to be, it had also gained him a bit of notoriety at Coruscant High School. People knew who he was, especially after his last performance had been written up in the town paper. People knew he was talented. Which meant that he was mostly left alone. Drama club might not be a first class ticket to the popular table, but at least he held some social clout that other kids in Drama Club didn't really have. 

Clout that he normally used to protect the other, less popular drama kids from the torture that he used to face on a daily basis. 

At the thought of the popular kids again, he glanced up at the jock's table, where Rey Patine was finishing up what looked like a salad and a protein shake. She had been a superstar on the team ever since she had moved to Coruscant during Sophomore year, and was being scouted for scholarships to various colleges around the country. It seemed like every school wanted Rey to sign on to their field hockey program, and for good reason. Last season she single-handedly secured a championship win for Coruscant high school in the state championships, and now has a plaque on the hallway outside of the gym for her efforts.

She was perfect. An all-star athlete, an honor roll student, she was even on student council.

And she had never spoken a single word to Ben in the two years they had been attending CHS together. Not one. Even though they had been in half a dozen classes together during that time. Maybe more.

So all Ben could do was pine for her from afar. 

The door to the outdoor seating area flew open, letting in a refreshing burst of cool October wind as Ben wolfed down whatever slop was left on his plate before the bell rang for 7th period. Kaydel, the other senior lead of the play, asked him what the rehearsal schedule was like for that afternoon. Ben had memorized the schedule the week Holdo had passed it out and was always ready to remind his friends of the daily run through.

“Today we’re doing Scenes 3 and 4,” he said as he was packing up his bag. The bell rang loudly in the background as a crush of teenagers headed for the door. “Which means just you, me, Finn, Rose, and Poe.” Kaydel nodded and sent him a shy smile. 

“See you later, Ben,” she waved goodbye and left, as Finn and Rose trailed behind Ben as they left the cafeteria. 

“So,” Rose drawled when Kaydel was out of sight. “You get your own stage kiss this year with Kaydel.” Her eyebrows rose as she bit her lip in jest. “What are your thoughts on that Ben?”

He shrugged, balancing his bag on one shoulder. “It wouldn’t be the first time. We kissed last year during the musical Barnum.” Ben was really good at separating what happened on stage from real life. Many of his friends in Drama club called him intense, but it was just the way he approached acting. It was a way to be someone else for a short time, and tap into the feelings he had never been able to express on his own.

“Yeah, but you’re Seniors now,” Rose pushed, nudging him before she turned down the hallway to get to AP Calculus. “And I think she has a thing for you.”

“No one has a thing for me,” Ben grumbled as Finn followed him to Gym. They were watching a movie today because the teacher Mr. Klaud was absent, so they didn’t have to change. It was nothing short of controlled chaos when he entered as the substitute tried to get the ancient TV/DVD player to work. They were going to watch a workout video from the 90’s that looked like something his mother used to do on the weekends. 

He plopped down with Finn on one of the pulled out bleachers, his eyes immediately finding Rey in the crowd of popular kids and jocks, making their way across the gym. Rey was flanked by her two best friends Jannah and Zorii, and the three of them looked like they should be on the cover of a magazine with their beautiful smiles and athletic figures. However, as popular as they were, it didn’t mean they were immune to the teasing of their peers. 

“Hey Patine,” laughed Armie Hux, the captain of the basketball team. Once upon a time in Kindergarten, Armie had been Ben’s friend, but that ship had sailed a long time ago. Ben watched as he grabbed Rey’s backpack off of her shoulder while she laughed at his antics, not knowing what would happen next. “Think you can catch this?” He went to throw the bag back at Rey, but instead launched it up into the basketball net, wincing as the strap caught on the hoop. It was dangling from one tangled strap and gravity was not helping it come down. Rey was nowhere near tall enough to get it, and glared at Armie with daggers in her eyes. 

“You asshole!” She yelled, causing many kids, and the sub, to look up. “Get it down for me right now!” Hux had the good grace to blush, shrugging as he jumped to reach the bag. Unfortunately, for as tall and athletic as he was, Armie couldn’t reach it. He tried again to no avail.

Now Rey looked pissed, and Ben had never seen her look so angry. “Miss D’acy!” Rey called to the sub, who was shaking her head in disappointment. “Can you, like, call a custodian or something?” Miss D’acy, who had worked at CHS for as long as anyone could remember, was already struggling with the ancient TV and gave Rey a panicked look. 

“I-I can’t leave the class alone and the only phone is in the gym office---”

Ben sighed and stood up, towering over everyone in the gym, even Armie. “Don’t worry Miss D’acy, I’ll try to get it down.”

It was a testament to his acting skills how easily Ben was able to hide his excitement. This was it, this was the moment he would finally be able to talk to Rey Patine, the subject of his thoughts for almost two whole years. When she saw him walk up to the basketball hoop where her bag was stuck she looked shocked, almost as if she hadn’t even known he existed. He easily reached up and with a light jump was able to grab onto the straps, wiggling it and getting it loose from the basketball hoop. When it fell into his arms the class actually cheered, and he hid the small blush on his cheeks as he pushed back the hair that had fallen into his eyes. 

He turned to look at Rey, who still had that stunned look on her face. She wasn’t even smiling, just looking at him up and down as if he was the newest specimen in a laboratory. It was slightly offensive. This wasn’t their first day of school together-- was he really so invisible to her?

“Here you go,” he said, passing over the bag to Rey as she looked at anything but his face. 

“T-thank you,” she said quietly as her two friends looked on with their mouths turned up in smirks. She quickly rejoined her friends and sat down with some other girls from the Field Hockey team, leaving Ben to do nothing but return to his seat next to Finn while Miss D’acy finally got the TV to work.

And that was that. The moment Ben had been waiting two years for. He had been pining over this girl for ages and their first interaction was nothing more than a Thank You. He sighed and let his head fall in his hands, wondering if that could have gone any differently than the anti-climactic exchange that had just occurred. His dramatic ass thought he could come to her rescue, but once again, reality had thoroughly trumped his expectations. He turned around to spare a glance at Rey and her friends, and the three of them were huddled together, whispering and staring at him. He quickly turned back at the TV while his heart started to pound. 

What were they saying about him? What were Jannah and Zorii telling her? He had known Jannah since kindergarten, back when his hair was too short to cover his ears, and was afraid that all of his deepest and worst secrets were being spilled to the one girl who he had feelings for. For a moment he wished he had kept his mouth shut and waited for a custodian to come. His focus was on anything but the ancient exercise tape as some guy started talking about a routine called “Tae-Bo.”

The rest of the day went by in a blur for Ben, not really focusing on anything besides his AP French exam and writing in the cursed subjonctif. He had French with Rey as well, and caught her staring at him from across the room twice during class. He was brave enough to smile at her the second time, but she ignored him and ducked her head, refusing to return the gesture. His mood was foul by the time he got to play practice, and pulled out his script to read over his lines for the scene in the audience while his other friends all chatted on the edge of the stage. 

“Hey guys,” Miss Holdo called brightly as she entered the auditorium. She was everyone’s favorite English teacher, and the advisor for both the drama and the musical. He adored Miss Holdo, and even asked her to write his letter of recommendation for Juilliard and NYU. “Let’s get Rose and Finn on stage right for the beginning of the scene and start going over some blocking.” 

His friends moved into position while he, Kaydel, and Poe, waited for their turn to enter from stage left. No one was really “off-book” yet, but Ben had most of his lines memorized and was marking his blocking in his script when the door to the auditorium opened with a loud click. Ben ignored it and wrote it off as commonplace, since so many people popped in and out for bathroom breaks and snacks. 

He started his scene with Kaydel, looking her in the eye while he embodied his character-- the anti-hero who secretly wants to change and take down the crime syndicate he’d been involved with for years. 

“Why does life keep bringing us together, you and I?” He said smoothly, approaching Kaydel with short steps.

“Murderous snake!” She hissed at him, her character being the FBI agent tasked to help take his whole operation down. “You lost! I found the informant you tried to kill!”

“Did he tell you what happened?” He sneered, a gentle softness imbuing his tone. The audience had to hate this guy and also root for him to do the right thing in the end. “The night I torched the factory, did he tell you why?”

“I know everything I need to know about you!” Kaydel screamed with just a tad too much force for what the scene required, but that could be fixed after Holdo gave notes.

“You do?” He paused dramatically, taking another step towards her. “Ah, you do.” He was about to say his next line when Holdo’s crisp voice interrupted the scene.

“Miss Patine!” Holdo sounded more than a little annoyed as Ben was immediately snatched away from the scene. “This is a closed rehearsal. No one is allowed to watch the actors rehearse.” Ben’s heart raced to double time as he looked out into the audience and found Rey sitting all the way in the back row of the auditorium, watching them run over the scene. She looked embarrassed, like a child caught stealing cookies before dinner.

“I-um,” Ben could do nothing but stare at her as she stood up quickly, making her way down the aisle to the stage where Holdo was standing with her arms crossed. Holdo was a wonderful director and an excellent teacher, but you did not want to get on her bad side. “I wanted to know if there was any way I could be involved in the play this year.” Rey quickly looked up at Ben and he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “I know you’re all rehearsing already and stuff, but I was really interested in joining Drama Club.”

Holdo clicked her tongue with more than a little bit of impatience. “Miss Patine, auditions were weeks ago, and even if you had auditioned, your Field Hockey schedule would make it impossible to attend the rehearsals. Surely you know that.”

“Yes, well, maybe if I can’t be in the show I can help off stage? With, like, lights and sounds and stuff?” It felt like Ben was having an out-of-body experience as he watched the scene unfold. Why would Rey Patine want anything to do with Drama Club? “I’m really good with machines and engineering!”

Holdo looked at her with a bit of doubt in her eyes, but eventually shrugged as the tense moment was broken. “Well, if you want to be on Stage Crew you’ll have to speak to Mr. Calrissian. His crew normally meets on Thursdays. But you must be available for Saturday practices and the week before the show is mandatory.”

“When is the show again?” Rey asked, her fingers twisting together.

“December 4th and 5th.” Holdo replied smoothly.

“Oh, well that’s way after the season is over!” Rey said brightly, her eyes finding Ben’s on the stage again. “I’ll go find Mr. Calrissian right away.”

“Good,” Miss Holdo finally smiled, her face softening from the tense exchange. “We always need more competent people on Stage Crew, especially ladies.”

“Thank you Miss Holdo!” She took one more look at Ben on stage and for the first time ever, she smiled at him. Rey Patine actually smiled at him! “See you on Thursday!” She headed for the door and after it shut Finn shot him a wondrous look from behind the Stage right curtains. Ben didn’t even know how to process whatever had just happened.

“Now!” Holdo said, returning her focus to her actors. “Where were we?”

“I have no idea,” Ben said as Kaydel still looked confused. “I think I need a minute to go over my lines again.”


	2. Stage Crew Queen

Rey Patine always considered herself to be a pretty good actress.

She had always thought it was a hidden talent of hers; something she could use against her parents and her grandfather to get what she wanted. A talent she could flex to make her friends at school believe she was just like them. Change her accent, use the American mannerisms she’d heard so often, anything to fit in for once and stop being the misfit she had been in England.

Blend in well enough so she didn’t stand out anymore.

Well, she was a better actress than she’d ever thought, because she had succeeded where she had once failed in England. She was popular, had great grades, went to all the best parties, and found a wonderful group of friends to spend time with.

So why wasn’t she happy?

Rey was in gym class again, 48 hours to the minute since Ben Solo had finally broken through his veneer of cool aloofness to actually speak to her. The way he had helped her with her backpack the other day was etched into her memory forever; the way his long limbs reached up to grab her bag, the way he ran his fingers through his silky, dark hair… she was so awed by him actually noticing her she could barely summon a thank you. God, he must have thought she was some kind of an idiot or something when she practically ran away from him. Zorii and Jannah had hounded her for the rest of the day, digging for every thought that had passed through Rey’s mind at their short exchange.

Zorii was absent today, so it was just her and Jannah playing an easy game of badminton near the center of the gym. She was competitive on the field but liked to save her energy during the day, so she and Jannah had avoided the group of people they usually played with. To them, every moment of life was a competition and Rey thoroughly believed badminton was not worth the sweat. She had positioned herself on the side of the net that lended her the best view of Ben Solo, playing with his friend Finn alone, just like her and Jannah.

If she were a better actress, she would cross the gym and ask them to join their game. Actually muster up the courage to speak to the one boy who had always seemed so unattainable. So larger than life. So quiet and serious and soft at the same time.

Her musings were interrupted when the birdie flopped right into her face with a comical ‘bop.’

“Patine!” Jannah called brightly. “You’re paying attention to the wrong shuttlecock!”

Rey had to exert every effort to stop her face from turning bright red as she picked up the birdie from the floor. “Say it a little louder, Jan, I don’t think the whole gym heard you.”

“It’s not a crime to go over and talk to him,” Rey sighed as she launched the birdie back towards her friend, who was all-too-aware of Rey’s secret crush on Ben Solo. “I can help you if you want! We used to share the same cubby in first grade. Our dads still barbecue with one another every summer.”

Rey sighed, her heart pounding at even the smallest chance of talking to Ben as they continued to volley the birdie. He was just so jarringly beautiful, her mouth went dry at even the thought of speaking to him.

“You don’t get it,” Rey frowned, her cowardice making her cringe. “Hell, I don’t even get it.”

“You’re, like, the most popular girl in the school,” Jannah continued as she scored another point. “He would be an idiot to not want to talk to you.”

“So why hasn’t he before?” she countered, pausing their game to have the same conversation with Jannah for what seemed like the millionth time. “We’ve been in a bunch of classes together since I moved here and he’s never said a word to me.”

“I mean,” Jannah adopted Rey’s British accent, something she only let a few people hear. “He is a serious actor. Destined for the stage and a career full of acclaim.”

“Yeah,” Rey agreed, “So why would he want to hang around some girl whose greatest achievement is shooting a ball into a net?”

“So instead of talking to him like a normal person, you’re going to join my dad’s club in the hopes that you can spend more time with him? That’s very stalker-esque.” Rey refused to respond and Jannah sighed loudly. “You have no problem going head-to-head against all the jocks and meatheads here but you can’t talk to Drama King Ben Solo?”

“I don’t care about those meatheads,” Rey announced firmly. “Because they’re precisely that… empty headed morons.” Her voice took on a wistful tone. “Ben is different, I can tell. He’s deep, he feels things.”

Rey was sure of it, from everything she had seen of him. He wasn’t just another kid in class, another body in the hallway. He was taller than any basketball player she knew, wider than any linebacker on the football team, and had longer limbs than any runner on track. But despite his size, there was something about him that seemed so soft. So gentle. So unlike any of the kids she normally hung around. Now that she was a senior, the idea of fitting in seemed so shallow to her now. It wasn’t important to her anymore.

So if joining Stage Crew was the only way to get closer to Ben Solo, she was going to do it, as stupid as it sounded to her friends. Rey Patine was going to break out of the box she had packed herself into and get to know Ben a little bit better. If anything, at least it would be another shining extra-curricular to add to her college transcript.

Mr. Klaud blew the whistle, informing everyone to clean up and change before the end of the period. She watched Ben push that amazingly thick, shiny hair out of his face while his friend Finn followed him to the changing rooms. A bubble of excitement simmered under her skin as she watched them leave. Today was Thursday, her first Stage Crew meeting, and another chance to see Ben Solo on stage. Another chance to see him literally transform in front of her eyes into a person that made her practically melt in her seat. Watching him on stage was nothing short of hypnotic, his talent overwhelming every actor he worked with.

From the moment Jannah had dragged her to the Sophomore play, the first time she had ever seen Ben on stage, she had been in utter awe of his talent, collecting the flimsy paper playbills from his shows and storing them under her bed like a girl who loved boy bands. Clipping the articles out of the school newspaper and his big write-up in the town paper. Stopping herself from crying every time she watched him share a kiss on-stage with another girl, specifically that little blonde with the buns, Kaydel.

She was pathetic. But today was the day Rey Patine was finally going to do something about her crush on Ben Solo. This was it. Now that he knew she existed, she wasn’t going to stop until he got to know her better. As something more than that girl on the field hockey team.

Speaking of field hockey, she did have practice that afternoon, but it didn’t start until four, which left her with about an hour to get to know the ins and outs of Stage Crew before she had to leave. Their meeting would be happening at the same time as Drama practice, so she would also get the chance to see Ben on stage again, and watch him work his magic to an empty audience. Her embarrassment from getting caught by Miss Holdo on Tuesday still lingered, but at least now she could have a chance to see his talent from backstage and indulge in her crush in a whole new way.

The day was not moving fast enough for Rey’s taste. The only bright spot was AP French, when Madame Kanata, their amazing French teacher from Haiti, asked Ben to read a passage from “Cyrano de Bergerac,” their next literature unit. Rey could do nothing but stare at his mouth as he spoke French with an actual accent, unlike so many of the kids in class who barely knew how to pronounce “bonjour” correctly. She was basically in another word when Madame Kanata asked the class to circle all the verbs written in the Passé Simple; all she could think about was the way Ben’s lips had wrapped around the word “amour.”

But finally, after a day of pining and excitement, it was time to head to her first Stage Crew meeting. She knew Mr. Calrissian well, especially after all of her sleepovers and family dinners with Jannah, but he was shocked to learn that she wanted to join his Stage Crew when she had never shown an interest before. She used her desire to go into engineering as an excuse to placate him, and he was more than happy to add her to his ranks. The club was mostly boys she recognized from her computer science classes, and most of them were stunned when she entered the auditorium and headed backstage to meet with them.

“Miss Patine!” Mr. Calrissian said loudly, and she waved at the other kids as she grabbed onto the strap of her backpack, feeling nervous amongst so many people outside of her social circle. “So glad you could join us.”

“Yeah, me too,” she said, taking in all the props, wires, ropes, and pulleys that littered the backstage area. It was her first time seeing this “behind-the-scenes” world and it was both strange and exciting to her. “But I have to leave before four to make it to practice.”

“Of course, of course,” Mr Calrissian waved at her. “I know the schedule well. I want you to meet D.J., he’s the president of Stage Crew and my number two behind the scenes. He’s the person you need to talk to if I’m not here for whatever reason.” She looked over at a greasy-looking dude who was sitting on an old couch that had seen better days. He had pimples and the beginnings of a mustache as he shot her a thumbs up. She vaguely remembered having a science lab with him once and waved at him.

“Hey.”

“And this is B.B., a freshman and probably the most helpful kid you will ever meet. He is a whiz with the sound and lighting systems from his time in the middle school drama club.” A short, chubby boy with red-orange hair jumped up with a bright “Hi!” and Rey couldn’t help but smile. He was adorable.

Rey could hear the sound of the auditorium door open and close, and she watched with bated breath as a bunch of the actors, including Ben, walked into the auditorium. Her heart skipped a beat as she watched him pull out his script and sit with his friends at the edge of the stage, his frame towering over everyone else’s.

“Okay, here is the plan for today,” Mr. Calrissian explained. “Miss Holdo needs us to start moving the electrical equipment into the back of the auditorium so we can clear the backstage out for the first round of scenery and props. D.J, you know where they go and how to set them up. I am going to bring Rey to the booth and give her a run-down of protocol before she has to go.”

“Okay, Roundie,” D.J. called to B.B. “You’re coming with me.” B.B. and some other kids followed the club president while she followed Mr. Calrissian to the back of the auditorium. She could see Ben from the corner of her eyes, bent over his script and lost in thought. She hoped to get the chance to see him act today, but with only an hour to spend with the stage crew, she doubted that she would have the chance to interact with him at all.

“Okay kiddo,” Mr. Calrissian smiled at her as they approached a door at the back of the auditorium. “Because you’re a senior, I am giving you a key to the A.V. booth upstairs. It’s where we control the spotlight and monitor the lights that are built into the stage. Any other lights or sound equipment that we rent for the shows get controlled by D.J. in a separate booth we construct down here. This is a private place, but seniors sometimes hang out here when we don’t have meetings. I had to take D.J’s key away when I caught him skipping class to hang out here.” He passed her a key that she gripped tightly in her fist. “So if you can’t make it to a Thursday meeting because of Field Hockey, you can get some work done on a day you have free. I tend to pop in and out of here when I have free time.” His eyes went steely for a moment, in the same way he spoke to Jannah when he told her not to drink or smoke at parties. “Do not let me catch you skipping classes to hang out here, Rey. I am trusting you with the booth.”

“Yes sir,” she said firmly, trying to remain calm when her heart was fit to burst from her chest. In her hands she held the key to her own secret vantage point. A place where she could watch Ben act in private without getting in trouble with Miss Holdo!

“And here is your copy of the script. This is for you to note down the various lighting and sound cues so you know when to make changes as we get closer to tech week. Now, go join the others and help them move some of the equipment. Don’t hurt yourself, some of this stuff can be heavy.”

Rey laughed at his fatherly tone. “No worries Mr. C, I got this.” She pocketed the key to the booth, threw her script into her bag on one of the empty seats, and turned back towards the stage, ready to help her new teammates in stage crew and maybe get the chance to talk to Ben.

What she wasn’t expecting was for him to already be on stage, working on the same intense scene she had seen him do the other day. She sighed, missing out on another opportunity to talk to him. Maybe joining Stage Crew was a little bit too desperate of her, but she was going to see this new endeavor through no matter what. Rey wasn’t a quitter, and with only a few weeks left in the Field Hockey season, she was going to give it her all, just like she did everything else.

She snuck backstage, trying not to interrupt the scene happening behind her, but heard Ben stumble over the line he was reading as she peeked over her shoulder. She was stunned to find his eyes on her, something like confusion reflecting in them as he looked down and repeated the line over again, a slight tremor in his voice. Rey mentally punished herself for distracting him and popped backstage to find B.B. walking into the prop closet.

“Hey,” she called to the younger boy, smiling at the way he jumped at the sound of her voice. He turned to her with a shy smile. “I’m Rey Patine. You’re B.B. right?”

“Yeah,” he nodded his head. “It’s nice to meet you, Rey. I always see your picture on that plaque outside the gym doors!” Rey smiled brightly at his enthusiasm. She didn’t know many underclassmen outside of sports, and there were no Freshmen in her circle of friends.

“What can I do to help?” She clapped her hands together and rubbed them, ready to get to work.

“Well, I’m clearing some of these speakers out of the prop closet, they need to be brought to the back of the auditorium. They’re a little heavy for me to bring down the stairs from the stage.”

“I can help!” She brought her arms up in a pose that made her biceps pop in her t-shirt. “I’m pretty strong you know.” B.B’s expression brightened as he grinned widely.

“Wow, I’ve never seen muscles like that on a girl before!” Rey laughed, reaching for one of the larger speakers. It was heavy, but nothing she couldn’t handle.

“Well, I do work out,” she lifted the speaker as B.B. walked away with some old props. She turned around to bring the equipment out from backstage, when she walked directly into what seemed like a brick wall.

A brick wall shaped like a very familiar person.

“Oh shit!” She cried, losing her grip on the speaker as it slipped out of her hands and landed on the ground in a muffled thud.

“Ouch! Fuck!” Ben cried as she looked on in horror as the speaker landed directly on Ben’s foot. His face scrunched in pain as she grabbed the speaker and lifted it away from his person, feeling more than a little mortified.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry!” She watched him hop on his good foot a few times as he muffled some more curses under his breath. Rey was completely humiliated as the object of her deepest crush put weight on his left foot to make sure he could still walk on it. “Do you want me to get the nurse?”

“No, no, I’m okay,” he said, leaning against a table and testing his weight on his toes. “I think it’s alright.”

“I-I,” now that Ben was in front of her she couldn’t think of anything of substance to say to him as her mouth went dry. “I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t expect any of the actors to come back here during practices.”

“Well, we have to,” he explained calmly, wincing as he put more weight on his foot. “We have to get used to our blocking so we hang out here between scenes.” He looked up at her, eyes popping as he finally realized who he was talking to. Was she really so invisible to him? “My spot is usually stage left.”

“Oh, well, I-I’ll remember that,” she stumbled over her words now that his attention was firmly on her for the first time. She had been dying to have a conversation with him for years and she had almost maimed him instead. “I’m pretty new to all this.”

“Yeah, um, I noticed,” he was finally able to rest his foot on the floor, and she sent up a prayer of thanks that she hadn’t broken his toes or anything. “I’m Ben. Ben Solo.”

“I know,” she replied, horrified by her response. “I mean, I know you from class and stuff. I’m Rey. Rey Patine.”

A small smile graced his handsome features, transforming him from the serious actor to something monumentally softer in moments. “I know,” he hesitated. “From class and stuff.”

An awkward silence filled the air, and Rey wondered what else she could say to him. She blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “You saved my bag the other day.” Good lord, was she always so awkward? Why couldn’t she act like a normal person around him?

“Y-yeah,” he stuttered, and she had never seen him so flustered. He was normally so cool and collected when she watched him from afar. “Being this tall sometimes has its’ perks.”

“Is your foot really okay?” She asked again, twisting her fingers together like she always did when she was nervous.

“Yeah, it is,” he said, standing up and walking towards her. She had to crane her neck to look up at him, and she always considered herself to be on the taller side for a girl. “Do you need help carrying that down the stairs?”

“N-no, I mean,” Rey couldn’t help but stammer. “I think I can handle it, I’m pretty strong.”

That same little smile pulled up his lips as her heart thumped in double-time. “I don’t doubt that at all, but as President of the drama club I can’t sacrifice anyone else’s toes.”

At that remark she laughed a little, lifting up the speaker and heading back out to the stage. “Okay, you can help me down the stairs, if you want.” She watched as Ben went down the five little steps first, reaching for the speaker and taking it from her as if it weighed nothing. He placed it on the ground and held his hand out for her, like one of those old-fashioned gentlemen from the black-and-white movies she used to watch with her grandfather.

Her heart fluttering, she took his hand and allowed him to help her down the stairs, now knowing why the ladies in those movies would always swoon for the dashing, chivalrous men who came to their rescue. He held onto her hand for a second too long, long enough to look into his eyes and see something there she had never seen before.

Something she wanted to see again, and again, and again.

“Yo, Solo!” The moment was interrupted by Poe Dameron, the self proclaimed “class-clown” of the senior class. “We’re up, it’s the start of scene five.”

Ben finally dropped her hand, her skin tingling at the loss of contact. “I’ll see you around?” He said, his voice softer than she had ever heard it before.

“Yeah,” she said, looking at the clock and realizing she only had a few minutes before she had to be at practice. “See you.”

He smiled at her one last time before climbing up the stage stairs in two giant strides and joining the rest of the cast on stage. She quickly lifted up the speaker and brought it to the other guys in the back of the auditorium before grabbing her bag and heading to practice.

Rey felt like she was floating as she headed towards the locker room to change. Despite almost breaking his foot, she had finally succeeded at having a conversation with the object of her massive crush. Their meeting was short, and kinda awkward, but she finally had the chance to speak to Ben Solo. To prove to him that she existed.

There were girls already changing when she arrived at the locker room, and when she pulled down her jeans to get into her athletic shorts, the small brass key to the A.V. booth clanged onto the floor, falling out of her pocket. With a smile, she hooked the booth key onto her keychain, knowing that she would have the chance to watch Ben act whenever she wanted.

Maybe her plan to join Stage Crew wasn’t so stupid after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rey has a key to the A.V. booth... I wonder what she will use it for??


	3. Team Player

As Ben watched Rey leave the auditorium to head to field hockey practice, he wondered if he needed to pinch himself. If somehow today was all a dream.

He had finally done it. He'd spoken to Rey Patine, had an actual conversation with her. He had almost lost feeling in his toes because of it, but Ben would crush his whole leg in a vice if it meant Rey would talk to him like that, look at him like that again.

He had held her hand, laughed with her, and saw something sparkle in her eyes that he had never seen before. It was a struggle to remember his blocking and his lines as he kept repeating the memory of her in his head, over and over again for the rest of practice. Finn and Rose kept shooting him weird looks from stage right, having seen their short exchange on the stairs while they were going through their scene. They didn’t exactly know that he had a crush on Rey, but he was sure it was blindingly obvious to anyone that had eyes that he was completely over the moon with her. 

For Ben, this was nothing short of a win for him. And after a lifetime’s worth of losses, he was going to ride this wave as long as he could.

The rest of practice was uneventful, and Poe, Finn and Rose all crammed into his car at five o’clock since he usually drove everyone home. Kaydel had her own car and lived on the opposite side of town, so Ben didn’t mind being the glorified chauffeur for his friends. There was a tense silence in the car, something that even the latest Ed Sheeran song couldn’t cover up as he made his way into Poe’s part of the neighborhood. 

He was the one who broke the tension in the car. “So, the famous Rey Patine really joined Stage Crew.”

“She seems nice,” Rose said as Ben’s shoulder’s tensed. “I’m going to try to talk to her next time. She seemed really interested in joining the Drama Club. Maybe she used to be an actress before she moved.”

“Where did she move from, anyway?” Finn grumbled from the backseat. He and Poe were kind of dating, so Ben saw Poe’s arm around Finn’s shoulder from the rearview mirror. “We don’t know a thing about her.”

“I don’t know,” Ben admitted softly. It was depressing how little he really knew about the girl he had a massive crush on. 

“I heard it was somewhere in England,” Poe shrugged. “But she doesn’t have an accent.”

“Maybe she hides it,” Rose offered. “Or maybe she moved around a lot and doesn’t have one, I heard that’s a thing.”

“She sure was friendly towards you, Solo,” Poe noted from the backseat. “After she nearly cobbled you.”

“It was an accident,” Ben said tightly. “I’m fine.”

“Fine enough to hold her hand like the gallant knight in shining armor,” Poe joked as Finn nudged him with his elbow. He could see Finn mouth the words “Shut up!” from the rearview mirror as they pulled down Poe’s block.

“I was being nice,” he grit through his teeth. “I can be nice when I want to.”

“Of course you can, Ben.” Rose said, as if she was trying to soothe an angry dog or something. “We know you’re nice. You’re just a very intense guy. We’ve talked about this before.”

“Yeah, and you know how much I hate it when you call me that. I am quiet and focused and driven. ‘Intense’ makes me sound like I’m three seconds away from punching a hole in the wall.”

“Which you’ve done, by the way,” Poe added from the backseat. “I just want to point that out.”

“That’s different,” Ben sneered. “That was extenuating circumstances.”

“It was a fight with your dad.”

“Shut up, Poe, I swear to God, or I will make you walk home.”

"We're already on my block."

“Boys, boys, relax,” Rose said from the front seat. “I think it’s nice that Rey joined Stage Crew and I think it’s even nicer that Ben is talking to her. She seemed a little out of place today.”

“You guys are worse than my parents,” Ben grumbled as he stopped outside of Poe’s house. Poe reached from behind Ben to pinch his cheek and he turned his head sharply to pretend to bite Poe’s hand.

“Well, I’m just happy my little Benny is growing up and talking to girls who aren’t in the Drama club.”

“Go away now, Poe!” The pain-in-the-ass laughed once more before kissing Finn on the cheek and hopping out of the car. There was a painful silence once he was gone, and Ben could feel that his friends were hesitant to speak up. “Go ahead, say what you want to say.”

“He’s kind of right,” Finn spoke first as Ben pulled back onto the road. “Besides Kaydel and Rose, you don’t really talk to other girls.”

Ben blew out a long breath, hoping he was doing the right thing by confiding in his friends. Rose and Finn had been his friends since the very first day of drama club in 6th grade, so he knew he could trust them no matter what. “I have a thing for her, okay? I’ve liked Rey for a while. This could be my chance to get to know her better.”

“Ben, that’s great!” Rose cried enthusiastically. “I knew something was up when you held her hand today!” She smiled widely as Finn whooped from the backseat. “You won’t even hug me.”

“What can I say,” Ben deadpanned. “I’m not a touchy-feely guy.” He paused for a moment, feeling thoughtful. “But I could be for Rey. I want to be.”

“Well then, that settles it! We welcome Rey into the Drama Club/Stage Crew fold and hope that Ben wins her over with his dashing and debonair moves, all of which he got from the Golden Age movies he used to watch with his grandma!”

“Please leave Nana Padmé out of this, Finn.” Ben sighed. “Besides, Rey’s only going to be at rehearsals on Thursdays and Saturdays, and if she has field hockey practice I’ll see her even less.”

“Don’t you have, like, three classes with her this year?” Rose asked.

“Four,” Ben replied. “But I barely talk around you guys, let alone the other people at school.”

“Well if you see an opportunity to do so, grab onto it! Don’t let fear get in the way of something that could be really big.” Rose put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently as she and Finn got ready to hop out. They had a big Government exam to prepare for and were going to hang out at Rose’s house to study.

“I’ll try,” he said softly as they exited the car, leaving him alone with his thoughts. “Easier said than done.”

The next day, Ben walked through the hallways in a daze, wondering when he would be able to talk to Rey again. She was always surrounded by people wherever she went, and it was only during French class that she wasn’t being flocked by the popular kids she usually hung around with. Their French class was small, with only eighteen kids, since it was an AP class and so few continued languages after junior year. If there was conversation time or partner work he usually asked Mitaka to work with him, another kid from stage crew, but as he walked into class and saw Rey sitting alone, scrolling through her phone, he wondered if he could muster up the courage to ask to work with her.

Apparently, the Gods of French class seemed to be on his side today.

“Tout le monde!” Madame Kanata called as she entered the class and started up the SmartBoard and computer. “I have finally entered the 21st century and found a website that will help us change up our normal, boring routine.” She pulled up a website called “ClassDojo,” where all the names of the people in their class were underneath avatars of little cartoon aliens. 

“The website will help us choose our conversation partners for the day. When you find your partner’s name, I want you to sit with them and start a discussion about the characters we discussed during yesterday’s lesson.” She pressed a button and yelled “Allons-y!” before all the names on the screen were jumbled together. 

Guess whose name appeared next to Ben Solo? His head whipped around to find Rey’s eyes staring holes into his back and couldn’t believe his luck. A small smile graced her features as they made eye contact from across the room. She ducked her head away, the smallest blush tinting her cheeks.

“D’accord tout le monde, trouvez votre partenaire et commencez!” Ben Solo stood up and lumbered his way over to her row by the door, sitting in an open seat next to her. He opened his binder to the character organizer they had started in class yesterday, wondering where to begin.

“Hey,” he said, wincing at how deep and rumbly his voice sounded. He didn’t speak much during the day and definitely was not used to simple conversation. He found it boring.

“Hi,” she said sweetly. “How are the toes? All ten of them are still there, I hope.”

“Yeah,” he rubbed the back of his neck, feeling way too large for the tiny seats he had to squish himself into. “Don’t worry about it, I’m fine.” She was wearing her field hockey jersey today, her hair pulled up into the three little buns he often noticed. “What did you think of Stage Crew yesterday? I hope our equipment snafu didn’t drive you away.” Snafu? Who said the word snafu anymore??

“No, no,” she laughed. “I liked it a lot. I can’t wait to learn more about the theatre.”

“Have you ever done theatre before?” He asked, wondering if they had something in common.

“No,” she replied, shaking her head with a small smile. “I think I’m more into the engineering part of it all. I like working with machines.”

“Oh, that’s cool,” he nodded, struggling to find something else to say. “Everyone is really happy you joined. We don’t get many new recruits at this point of the year.”

“Yeah, um,” she started twisting her fingers together, something he had noticed her do a few times. “I wanted something that I can put on my transcript that could be related to engineering. It’s what I want my major to be.” She looked up at him shyly, biting her lower lip. “What about you? Have you applied anywhere yet?”

“Oh yeah,” he said, the French assignment completely forgotten as they engaged in their second conversation in as many days. “I did early applications for NYU and Julliard. I’m trying to put together a monologue for my auditions, but I haven’t found the right one yet.”

She smiled, her face brightening with every tug of her lips. “You’re really going all the way, huh? Ben Solo, actor extraordinaire.”

It felt like his blush had traveled from his ears all the way down to his knees as he looked away from her, feeling bashful. “Well, yeah, that’s the plan. What about you? Any ideas for schools yet?”

She shook her head, her smile slipping from her face. “I don’t know yet. My coach is pushing for me to contact some scouts but I don’t know if I want to play sports in college.”

“But wouldn’t that give you, like, a crazy scholarship?”

Rey shrugged, the buns on her head bouncing along with her shoulders. “I don’t really need it. My grandfather set me up with a college fund when I was a baby. My parents said I can pretty much do what I want.” 

Ben nodded, “Yeah, my parents said the same thing. We’re pretty lucky I guess.”

“Yeah,” she said softly, “We really are.” She bit her lip and all he could think about was reaching over to kiss her. Not a stage kiss where he tried his best not to breathe on the poor girl he was acting with, but an actual kiss. He wanted to hold her in his arms, tilt her head back, and cover her lips in his. He wanted it to be real.

“You know,” she continued, snapping him out of his trance. “I have a game tonight at 6. It’s a home game against Kamino. You can come and watch if you want.”

“Really?” Was this real? Was this really happening!?

“Yeah, well I got to watch you on stage this week. You can come and watch me on mine.” Her fingers were twisting again as she started to backpedal. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. It’s just that my parents work a lot and no one else ever comes--.”

“Rey,” he reached out, covering her hands and stilling her nervous tick. “I’ll be there. Practice should be over by 5.”

“Okay,” she said softly, biting her lip and taking a deep breath. “Ben, I-”

Ben never got to hear what she was going to say, because at that moment they realized that the small figure of their French teacher was hovering over the two of them, catching them in their distracted conversation. He dropped her hand and hoped Madame Kanata hadn’t seen their exchange, but he had a feeling deep down that she was the kind of teacher that saw everything.

“Monsieur Solo, Mademoiselle Patine, if you are not speaking in French, you are not doing the work!”

“D’accord, Madame,” they said in unison, finally looking down at the paper to start talking. They got through two characters on the worksheet by the time Madame Kanata separated them and made Ben return to his row by the windows. Ben looked back at Rey as he got up to leave, noticing the way her brows furrowed together as she frowned. Feeling emboldened by yesterday’s conversation with Rose and Finn, Ben reached over and placed his hand over Rey’s once more.

“I'll see you later, Rey. I’ll be there.” His heart skipped a beat when he felt her squeeze his hand softly.

“Thanks, Ben. See you later.” He was loath to let go, but if he stood there any longer it would be weird, and the last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable. He made his way over to his seat, his hand clenching as her touch lingered on his skin. For someone who wasn’t touchy-feely, he sure seemed to be doing a lot of touching and feeling this week.

If it meant getting to spend more time with Rey, then in his mind it was totally worth it. Now he just had to find a way to break it to his friends that he wouldn’t be able to drive them all home after rehearsal.

Too bad his so-called “friends” didn’t take no for an answer.

“We’re coming too,” Poe said firmly, crossing his arms as they were packing up after rehearsal. “What better way to make Rey feel welcome than having the entire Drama Club behind her as a support system!”

“Poe,” Rose tugged on his sleeve, noticing a slight tick in Ben’s jaw as his fists clenched. “I can always call my sister to pick us up. She’s home from Stony Brook for the weekend.”

“No, no,” Finn waved her off. “I think Poe is right, we can be there for moral support.” He leaned over to Ben to whisper under his breath. “For both you and her.”

“What was that, babe?” Poe asked, looking suspicious. 

“Nothing, I just want Ben to know that Rey is one of us now, and we always support one another no matter what.” Finn winked at Ben and he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole. This was not how he thought this day was gonna go.

“Fine,” Ben hissed through gritted teeth. “You can come. But just don’t be embarrassing.”

“Where are we going?” Came a soft voice from behind Ben as he turned and spotted Kaydel. There was hope in her eyes and he couldn’t avoid including her in the group’s plans. It wouldn’t be fair.

“Rey invited us to watch her play against Kamino tonight.” Ben said, regretting even mentioning it to his friends. He should have just left them all to find their own rides home. “If you want to come.”

“Oh, yeah, let me just call my mom, I’m sure it will be fine.”

And that is how the Drama Club wound up at the Coruscant versus Kamino field hockey game, his friends choosing a row towards the top of the bleachers. He was squeezed between Kaydel and Rose on either side of him as Finn and Poe took up the rest of the space before the aisle. There were a few people that he recognized from school, and he spotted Mr. Calrissian in the front row, but it was mostly family members and little siblings who were bored and running around. The concession stand was open, the sun was setting, and the brisk October breeze made Ben wrap his peacoat a little tighter around himself. His eyes immediately went to the field, where Rey had obviously layered her jersey with Under Armour in an attempt to stay warm. She was stretching and running drills with the team before the referees walked onto the field. 

“Let’s get Rey’s attention!” Poe called down the row. “Let her know we’re here for her.”

Ben shook his head, afraid to draw too much attention to himself. “Poe, let’s not--” but his pleas were drowned out by Kaydel screaming, “Yeah!”

Rose shot Ben a worried look, but they all stood up together while Poe and Kaydel yelled out “REY!” at the top of their lungs.

She had been making her way toward the field when she suddenly turned around looking confused. But her confusion melted into a bright smile when she finally recognized who was calling for her. 

“THE DRAMA CLUB IS HERE TO SUPPORT YOU!” Poe screamed, earning annoyed looks from many of the parents and other kids sitting around them.

Ben watched as she laughed, waving her hockey stick in the air. She made eye contact with Ben for the briefest moment before she suddenly frowned, shaking her head as she turned back toward the field. Ben was immediately worried that he had done the wrong thing by inviting everyone to the game, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He could only hope that she wasn’t mad at him as the players took position on the field and the referees blew the whistle to start the game.

Now, Ben Solo was not the most enthusiastic guy when it came to sports. He was a decent runner and was good at basketball only because he was about as tall as the net. But he didn’t have to know much about field hockey to see that Rey was an absolute beast on the field. She plowed through the other players, making her way up and around the field like she had been born to be there. Ben couldn’t look away from her as she scored point after point, making the other team look like amateurs as his enthusiasm for the game increased with every shot at the goal. 

She was amazing, a true force to behold.

As much as he didn’t want to draw attention to himself, being so out of his element, he couldn’t help but cheer for her every time she scored against the team from Kamino high school. By the time the game was over, with CHS pummeling the other team with a 9-3 victory, Ben had launched himself out of his seat with the rest of the drama club, heading toward the field as the parents around them started to corral their kids so they could go home. It was dark by now, the field’s flood lights illuminating the group of adrenaline-fueled girls as they all jumped on top of one another in a huddle of screaming, laughing estrogen. He felt awkward joining the team on the field, and stood behind the wire fence that separated the spectators from the athletes. 

When he saw her excited, smiling face, he couldn’t stop himself from shouting her name. “Rey!”

The other members of the drama club stared at him as he grinned and waved at her from the sidelines, and it was probably the biggest smile they had ever seen on his face. Rey’s expression brightened as she noticed them all, her little cheerleading squad of drama geeks. 

“Ben!” She broke loose from her teammates and ran over to where they were standing, heading straight towards him as she practically jumped onto him. He caught her as she looped her arms around his neck, holding her tightly against his peacoat as she laughed into his neck. He couldn't believe he was finally holding Rey in his arms! 

“I’m sorry!” She laughed as he set her down, and Ben was oblivious to his friends gawking at the scene before them as she pulled away from Ben’s embrace. “I’m really sweaty but I am so glad you guys came! What time is practice tomorrow?” Rey’s teammates were calling her back to the field, but Ben never wanted to let her go. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so happy before and it was all because of Rey and whatever was happening between them. 

“We start at 10am,” Rose said happily. “Thank you so much for inviting us to your game!”

“No, thank you guys for coming!” She was already jogging back onto the field but waved at them once more. “See you tomorrow!” Ben could do nothing but wave dumbly as he stood there and watched her rejoin her friends. There was a warmth inside of his chest that seemed to spread through every limb, every nerve in his body until it felt like he didn’t even need his peacoat anymore.

“OK!” Poe clapped and rubbed his hands together as Ben continued to stare at the field. “Can you drive us home now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell that I'm a high school French teacher??? Who used to be a drama club kid???


	4. New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Rey's first full rehearsal and she realizes there's a lot she needs to learn about life in the theatre.

The school was eerily quiet when Rey entered on Saturday morning, finding that she was locked out of three separate entrances before she found an open door by the main office. She clutched her Starbucks cup in her hand, remembering the clipped conversation she’d had with her Dad when he dropped her off. Once again, Grandpa needed him and mom for another business trip to Europe for an undetermined amount of time. 

Once again, she’d be all alone.

But Rey didn’t want to dwell on that as she approached the auditorium, mentally preparing herself for her first full day of drama club and stage crew. Yesterday had been nothing short of a dream for Rey, and she was still riding that high through the darkened hallways of the high school. Not only had she gained the courage to ask Ben to her game, but in her post-victory buzz of adrenaline, she had hugged him! Right in front of all of his drama club friends. 

It was a surprise of monumental proportions to see the entire club in the stands to support her, despite the slight jealousy she’d felt at seeing Ben sitting next to Kaydel. If she was going to be a part of this club, Rey was going to have to get used to being around the little blonde, but she wasn’t yet over the little green sting of having seen her kiss Ben in previous shows.

What if they had a thing for one another? What if they were dating? It was the kind of gossip she would normally be able to get out of her friends, but the drama club was so insular and exclusive, it was hard to find out anything about them. She could only hope that they were just really good actors, especially after the way Ben had hugged her yesterday. Like he hadn’t wanted to let her go. It left her heart racing faster than the adrenaline that lingered in her limbs from the heights of their win last night. 

Well, today was the day she would finally have the time to get to know the other members of the club. She knew Poe and his huge personality from a few classes they’d had together in the past, but the other kids were still new to her. The fact that they had come to her game yesterday without even knowing her that well still blew her mind. It was the first time since starting field hockey that she had her own little support group in the stands. Her parents had only come to a handful of games over the years, and never together because of the demands of their work. To look up into the stands and hear their cries of support made her heart swell in ways she’d never felt around her other so-called “friends.” Jannah and Zorii were exceptions to that statement, but since they were on the team with her, they supported her in different ways.

Her heart skipped a beat as she entered the auditorium from the backstage doors, the area still dark as she saw a sole figure sitting on the edge of the stage. There was only one overhead light on, casting his silhouette in a way that made him seem larger than life. He was all alone, and she could see Ben pouring over his script, his shoulders shaking as she realized that he was muttering under his breath, his free hand gesturing as he went over his lines.

It was creepy to just stand behind him and watch, but she couldn’t help but take in how serious he was about his craft. Knowing that he was applying to drama school only solidified the idea in her mind that he was a star in the making, someone who was going to take his talent all the way to something big. 

As much as she liked watching him from afar, she couldn’t pass by an opportunity to talk to him again. Their conversation from French class yesterday was such a pleasant surprise and she could still remember the way he had held her hand after she had started babbling and twisting her fingers together, her worst habit from her awkward childhood.

“Hi,” she called out softly, not wanting to scare him. His head whipped around quickly as his mouth opened up in a little “o.”

“Rey,” she felt his eyes on her while she walked to the edge of the stage, joining him as she sat down and let her legs dangle off of the edge. She tried to get as close to him as possible without draping all over him and gave him a little nudge with her shoulder.

“Going over your lines?” She wondered why he looked so stunned before he stuttered out a response.

“Um, uh, yeah. Yeah. I have a big monologue at the end of Act One and it’s a lot to remember. I’m trying to get off-book before we start blocking that scene or else it will be overwhelming.”

“Off-book?” She tilted her head in confusion. “What does that mean?”

He gave her a shy little smile and her heart fluttered. “It means your lines are memorized and you don’t need the script anymore.” He tilted his script towards her and she looked at the entire page of highlighted text. There were little notes scribbled in the margins, but his handwriting was so elegant it was easy for her to read.

“Oh,” she pointed at something on his page. “What does SL mean?” She squinted. “CS?”

“Stage left, center stage, it’s all my blocking directions and where I have to be on the stage during the scene.” He pointed towards the side of the stage where they had officially met. “That’s stage left over there.”

Rey shook her head, not understanding. “But that’s to the right of where we’re sitting.”

“That’s because stage blocking is done from the perspective of the audience,” he explained softly, his small smile exposing some slightly crooked teeth she had never noticed before. “You have a lot to learn about the theatre if you’re going to be in stage crew, Sweetheart.”

It felt like her heart might burst from her chest at the soft endearment. No one had ever called her anything but her first or last name before and she didn’t know how to process it. “Uh, I, uh, guess I do.” She looked around the auditorium and found it a bit spooky. “It’s dark in here,” she changed the subject, trying her best not to blush as he looked at her with the same soft gaze as she’d noticed in French class. “Where is everyone? I thought rehearsal started at 10.”

“It does, but people tend to take their time on the weekends. We have the whole afternoon, so there’s no need to rush. Sometimes we get started before Miss Holdo even arrives, she tends to get here later than us when it’s not Hell Week.”

Another term she didn’t know. “Hell Week?”

“Yeah, the week before the show. The teachers call it Tech Week, but to the actors and stage crew it’s basically hell. It’s when the stage crew does all the lighting and sound cues for the entire show, so the actors have to do the same scenes over and over again until everything is synced together. Some nights we’re here until almost midnight, and we still have to come to school the next day.”

“I wasn’t expecting things to be so complicated. You guys always made this stuff look so easy in your other shows.”

He paused, looking down at her with surprise in his gaze. “You’ve seen my shows?”

Oh no, she let that bit of information slip without realizing it. Now he was going to figure out that she was some kind of stalker who was using stage crew to get close to him. How was she going to get out of her accidental confession? Should she just tell the truth and hope she didn’t scare him off? 

“Well, yeah, you know Jannah Calrissian? She’s my best friend and I would always come with her to support her dad. He’s always been so nice to me.” There, she hoped that was a good enough cover to hide the fact that she’d been obsessed with him for two whole years without ever acting on it. She wondered if she’d made the right decision when some of the brightness dimmed from his eyes.

“Oh, yeah. Right.”

For a moment she thought she was strong enough to backpedal and change her answer, but the auditorium doors opened as some of the other members of drama club entered the empty space. They were all talking to one another, but went quiet the moment they spotted Rey sitting next to Ben on the stage.

“Rey!” The shorter girl said brightly, and if she remembered her correctly from 11th grade English class, her name was Rose. “We’re so glad you made it.”

“Hi,” she said shyly, and Ben hopped down from the stage as Rey followed suit.

“Rey,” he started, flourishing his arm towards the other members of the drama club. “This is Rose Tico, Poe Dameron, Finn Storm, and Kaydel Connix. We are the seniors and officers of the drama club.”

“It’s really nice to meet you guys, officially. Thank you so much for coming to my game last night.”

“We had a lot of fun!” Kaydel seemed just as bright and sweet as Rose but it didn’t stop Rey from those bitter feelings of jealousy, knowing she had kissed the object of her affections. “It was so nice of you to invite us.”

A nasty part of her wanted to point out that she had only invited Ben, but the diplomatic part of her tried to soothe her ire with kindness.

“You all have an open invitation from now on. There’s not much time left in the season but if we go to playoffs you might be able to come to more.”

“Well from what I saw on the field yesterday, that will probably be a given,” Poe stepped forward, reaching for her hand and giving it a firm shake. “You’re a superstar around these parts, Rey.”

She gave them a tight smile, shaking his hand and pulling away bashfully. “It’s all talk, I promise you.”

Finn was the next to reach out and shake her hand. “We had art together in sophomore year, but we never had the chance to meet.”

“Yeah, you’re in my gym class this year, too,” she spared a glance at Ben from her periphery. “I always see you guys playing together.” A blast of bravery surged her forward. “You should join me and my friends next time.”

“Yeah, definitely, of course,” she watched as Finn shot a weird look at Ben that she couldn’t decipher. 

When she dropped Finn’s hand she didn’t even have a chance to breathe before Rose jumped forward and grabbed Rey in a tight hug. Jannah and Zorii weren’t really huggers unless they had won a game, so she wasn’t used to being around affectionate people as she awkwardly wrapped her arms around the shorter girl. It was a quick hug, and when Rose pulled away she grabbed both of Rey’s hands in hers as excitement brightened her face.

“I can’t wait to get to know the famous Rey Patine a little better! You’re such a talented athlete!”

“I wouldn’t call myself famous…” she trailed off, feeling slightly embarrassed over her popularity. They were making her feel like some kind of celebrity just because she had won a few games.

“But you are!” Kaydel added. “We couldn’t believe you wanted to join drama club and stage crew when you’re, like, the most popular girl in school.”

She didn’t know what to say about that, feeling awkward under their praise. She had always valued her popularity in the past, but here it almost felt like it didn’t matter. Here, she just wanted to be Rey. No expectations, no artifice. Rey Nobody.

“All right, guys, give her room to breathe,” Ben blessedly broke the tension she was starting to feel under their praise. “Let’s get some lights on in this place so we can get started.” He turned to Rey as the rest of the cast put down their bags and coats on the empty seats. “Did Mr. Calrissian give you the key to the A.V. Booth? I’ll show you how to turn on the house lights.”

“Yeah,” she replied, reaching for her keychain in her bag. “He did.”

“Follow me,” he nodded towards the back of the auditorium and she followed, a little intimidated by how dark everything was. He moved down the aisle like he had night vision, and she guessed he was used to navigating the auditorium in whatever light was available. She stumbled as the aisle slightly inclined, bumping into his back and fisting a hand in his dark grey henley. He turned around to steady her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She was grateful he couldn’t see her raging blush. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she couldn’t control the slight tremor in her voice. “I’m not very coordinated in the dark.”

“I got you,” he said softly, and she fisted her hand a little tighter in his shirt. “The dark never really bothered me.” 

She wondered if he could hear her heart thumping, because it sure sounded loud to her as they made their way to the A.V. Booth in the back of the auditorium, his arm still around her shoulder as she gripped his shirt. She passed him the key and he opened the door, revealing a panel of switches and a darkened stairway.

“These are the house lights here,” he said, flipping the switch and illuminating both the stage and the audience. “Stage crew can also control them from upstairs on the night of the show. The stairway leads to the control booth and the spotlights. Mr. Calrissian will probably walk you through it all today.”

Now that the lights were on, she had no reason to keep holding onto the back of his shirt, so she grudgingly let go, smoothing the wrinkles out of the fabric. She could feel the muscles on his back tense and realized he still had his arm around her shoulder. He dropped it slowly, his fingers trailing down her arm in a motion that made her skin erupt in goosebumps. Every time they touched it was like a force was pushing them together, making her greedy for more of him. Based on the look in his eyes, she wondered if he felt it too.

Another slam of the auditorium doors alerted them to the presence of Mr. Calrissian, who was followed in by little B.B. The short freshman zoomed his way up the aisle waving a bright hello at the two seniors who seemed to be frozen in place at the entrance of the A.V. Booth.

“Hey guys!” His barely pubescent voice snapped them out of whatever trance they had fallen into as Mr. Calrissian trailed close behind.

“Good morning Rey, hello Ben.”

“Hey Mr. C,” Rey replied, inching away from Ben and giving her friend’s dad a high five.

“You killed it last night at the game, kiddo,” Mr. Calrissian beamed at her and she grinned. “Didn’t see mom or dad though.”

“No,” she shook her head, the same feeling of loneliness stinging through her at the thought of her absent parents. “They couldn’t make it.”

“At least you got these punks to show up for you!” Mr. Calrissian clapped a hand on Ben’s shoulder and gave it a firm shake. “You’re really one of us, now.”

“Yeah, totally,” she looked up at Ben with a shy grin and noticed a light blush on his cheeks. “It was really cool that everyone came.”

Miss Holdo entered the auditorium then, and Rey knew their day was about to officially begin. Ben’s smile was tight as he passed Rey back her key and walked away from them, ready to join the cast and start the rehearsal. She turned to Mr. C and noticed a sneaky smile on his face that was gone as quick as it came.

“OK, kiddo, go get the script I gave you on Thursday. I want to walk you through some things before I give you a pretty big job today. I hope you didn’t wear anything too expensive, ‘cause Stage Crew can be a messy gig.”

Rey looked down at the loose t-shirt and old jeans she had thrown on, not knowing what the day would entail. “It’s nothing I would lose sleep over.”

“Then let’s get started.” She followed him upstairs to the booth and he showed her the main control board and spotlights. For her engineering brain, it was a wealth of riches and she couldn’t wait to get her hands on the equipment. They spent a little over an hour up there, and Rey had a bird’s eye view of the stage while she watched Mr. C and B.B. go through the main controls. It was easy enough for her to pick up and quickly figured out how to control the house lights and the stage lights from the booth. She also learned how to use the spotlight.

“It gets more complicated when we get the rented lights and sound equipment, but D.J. controls most of that while other kids handle the spotlights. That all gets hammered out during Tech Week. For you, I might want to groom you to be stage manager if you can handle it.”

“Stage manager?”

“Yeah, you would be backstage with the scenery movers and prop master, making sure all the scenery and props make it out on their cues. It’s one of the most important roles in stage crew. I only trust seniors to do it.” He looked a bit wistful. “Haven’t had a competent stage manager since Gwen Phasma graduated two years ago.”

Rey had no idea there were so many jobs to be done backstage. Being stage manager sounded like something Rey could be happy with. She would get to be backstage throughout the entire show, making sure everything ran smoothly for the cast.

“Sounds good to me.” 

“Well, make sure you study that script, then. The stage manager has to know the show back and forth in order to get all the cues correct. It’s more lines than the actors have to know.” He clapped his hands together as she soaked in all of this new information. Ben was right, she did have a lot to learn about the theatre. “Alright, let me set you up with the messy stuff before we break for lunch.”

They descended from the booth and she noticed that the full cast was on stage, with kids she had never seen before, acting as background members of the cast. There were maybe 12 kids total on the stage, but right now Rey only knew the seniors. They were the ones with all the lead roles.

She followed Mr. Calrissian to what she now recognized as stage left, into the wide prop closet along the black-painted walls. He pulled out a massive canvas and two cans of white paint, pointing towards some rolling brushes and flat tins.

“After lunch, I need you to prime this canvas. Mrs. Mothma from the art department is coming in this week to start painting one of the backgrounds for the scenery.” He pointed towards a stack of old newspapers. “You’re going to set this up in the vestibule in front of the auditorium so you have ample space to work. Line the floors and lay out the canvas, but don’t open the paint cans until after lunch. It will stink up the place and you don’t want anyone tripping. Principal Ackbar will kill me if I stain the floors with white paint.”

“You got it, Mr. C.” He finally left her alone so she could get started on her job, carrying everything out into the hall in front of the auditorium. She worked quietly, enjoying the task more than she ever thought and entering the auditorium again a little after noon.

The cast and crew must have started their lunch break already, because she saw groups of kids spread out on stage, in the aisles, and in the audience, eating and chatting. She grabbed the salad she had picked up from Starbucks that morning, her coffee completely forgotten in the rush of her new responsibilities.

For a moment she felt awkward, standing by her bag with no one to eat with. There were no other girls in stage crew, and she didn’t know everybody yet. She felt awkward inserting herself into Ben’s group of friends, even though the urge to be close to him was getting stronger with every moment they spent together. It felt like the first day of sophomore year all over again as she sat down next to her bag, eating lunch all alone.

Before she could open up her salad, she noticed Rose enter the auditorium with a giant bag of food in her hands. She spotted Rey in the first row and bounced her way over to where she was sitting.

“Hey, Rey! Come join us on stage!” Rey was grateful for Rose’s kindness as she gathered her salad and tepid coffee and followed her new friend. “Every week we send someone out to get lunch and it was my turn. Feel free to text me your order next time and I’ll get something for you too.”

“Oh, yeah, let me give you my number.”

“Hold on, we can add you to the senior group chat!” Rose and Rey joined the other seniors on stage, sitting across from Ben as he continued to pour over his script. Rose handed everyone their lunch orders before issuing her next command. “Guys, take out your phones. We’re adding Rey to the group chat.”

“No problem,” Poe said, and she watched as Ben’s head popped up in surprise. He tucked away his script to quickly pull out his phone. She told Rose her phone number, and instantly started getting texts from everyone. It took her a few minutes to add everyone’s names to her contacts, but she saved Ben’s name for last, adding in a little blue heart emoji next to his name in secret.

She now had Ben Solo’s phone number!

“So, Rey,” Poe gave her a suspicious look as she finally opened up her salad and started eating. “It’s time to uncover your deep, dark, secret.”

Rey almost choked on a piece of chicken and lettuce as she coughed, trying not to spray food all over the place. Her deep, dark, secret?? Did they know about her crush on Ben? Did they suspect that she only joined stage crew to get close to him?

“What?” She cleared her throat again as she took a sip of tepid coffee. “What deep, dark, secret? Me? Secrets? What?” She sounded insane but couldn’t stop sputtering nonsense. 

“You know,” Poe said with an eyebrow raised as her heart rate tripled. “Your missing accent! Didn’t you move from England or something?”

“Oh!” She gasped, her hand covering her chest in relief. “Well, it’s there, I just don’t use it at school. Just when I’m with my family.”

“Why not?” Rose asked and she glanced over at Ben who had abandoned his script completely to pay attention to the conversation.

“Well, it’s kind of stupid,” she said bashfully, but it was Ben who urged her on.

“Don’t worry, we won’t judge,” his soft tone was enough to coerce her into honesty.

“It’s really strong,” she admitted softly. “When I got here I didn’t want to stand out, so I just spent the first few days of school listening to everyone else talk and practiced at home until I sounded like an American.”

“That sounds kind of exhausting,” Finn frowned. 

“It is, kind of,” she sighed. “Sometimes after a long day I get headaches because it takes a lot of mental energy to keep it up.”

“We never would have known,” Kaydel commented. “Even the best actors have issues with accents. You would make a good actress.”

“I guess,” Rey shrugged, feeling stupid for hiding such a big part of herself for so long in an effort to fit in. 

“Well you don’t have to worry here, Rey.” It was Ben who spoke up, his gaze serious as his lunch sat at his side, completely neglected. “You can be yourself here. Drama club is a place where you can be expressive. Your natural self. No judgment or criticism allowed.” She couldn’t look away from the intensity in his eyes. “I’m sure your accent is beautiful.”

She swallowed deeply, emotion clogging her voice as she let her throat relax and allowed her natural accent to break through. “Thank you, Ben.”

“Wow, it’s so pretty!” Rose gasped as her new little circle of friends clapped for her. Rey ducked her head away from them, not believing that they had actually gotten her to use her natural accent at school, without fear of teasing or bullying. The one time she had let her accent slip around her teammates they had hounded her about it for months. Even Jannah and Zorii.

“You guys are too nice to me!” She covered her face with her hands as she laughed, feeling true acceptance for the first time since she moved from England. 

“What, your other friends aren’t nice?” Finn asked.

“I mean, besides Jannah and Zorii, I can’t really say that I have many friends,” she said, not knowing how to explain it to them. “Everybody keeps saying how popular I am, but it’s all kinda shallow in a way.” Feeling the urge to be more candid, she allowed herself to be vulnerable. “To be honest, you’re the only people to ever come watch me play.” 

“Really?” Kaydel questioned, frowning. “What about your parents?”

“They work a lot,” she admitted softly. “They come when they can, but it’s always one or the other.”

“Well,” Rose, exclaimed brightly. “Now you have us, Rey! We will always be there for you. Isn’t that right, guys?”

“Yeah,” Ben replied as the others also confirmed. “Absolutely.”

“Alright, places!” Miss Holdo cried from the audience. “Let’s pick it up from the top of scene two. I want to get to scene six by this afternoon.” 

Rey nodded towards Ben’s untouched lunch as the others got up and threw away their trash. “You didn’t get to eat your food,” she said sadly.

“It's fine.” There was that smile again, the one that made her think that maybe her crush on him wasn’t so one-sided. “I’ll find time to eat between scenes.”

Rey nodded as she stood up and gathered her things. “Time to go paint. I’ll see you later.” She went to walk past him but she felt him take her hand gently as she walked by.

“Your accent really is beautiful, Rey,” he whispered to her and she squeezed his hand in return.

“I guess you’ll be hearing it more often.” She didn’t know where this boldness was coming from, but she was barely breathing as electricity surged between them. 

“Looking forward to it,” he squeezed her hand once more and let go, and Rey felt like she could leap from the stage with the energy thrumming inside of her. As she made her way out of the auditorium to paint, she knew deep down that she had made the right decision when joining stage crew. She had wanted to get close to Ben, but in reality she had gained so much more.

A chance to really be herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He called her accent beautiful *swoons*


	5. A New Confidant

Ben couldn’t keep his eyes off of Rey’s slim figure as she headed out of the back doors of the auditorium to get her work done. Just last week she was nothing short of an enigma to him, an unattainable dream that left him pining over her like a besotted fool.

But the events of the last few days had changed everything he had ever known about Rey Patine. She was far more shy and modest than he had previously thought, and there was a certain sadness to her in regards to her family that he didn’t yet fully understand. Their interactions had been nothing short of bliss and way more physical than he had ever imagined. He just couldn’t seem to stop touching her, and to his unending shock she didn’t mind reciprocating as well. He could almost feel the ghost of her touch at his back, where she had gripped onto his shirt in the dark and sent his heart lurching out of his chest.

But he had to shake the thoughts of her out of his head in order to focus on the run through of scenes 2-6. Scene 7 was his big monologue, and he was still nowhere near being off-book for that integral moment in the play. It was where Kylo Ren, his character, revealed all of his tumultuous thoughts surrounding his involvement in the shady crime organization known as the First Order, and how Kaydel’s character, Kira Skye, was making him question his choices in life. It set up the events for Act 2, and if he didn’t get the scene right, the audience would never understand his motives, thus ruining the climax of the show. 

It was a lot of pressure for Ben as the cast took their places and worked into the mid-afternoon. A lot of the scenes were really coming together, and the energy on stage was relaxed and fun. At around three o’clock people started leaving, from both the cast and the stage crew, and he hadn’t seen Rey since lunch. Assuming she had left, he said goodbye to his friends, all of whom had their own rides home.

“You staying late?” Poe asked as the auditorium emptied.

“Yeah, I want to start working on this monologue, some of these lines can be a mouthful.”

“Don’t work too hard,” Poe offered. “You’re allowed to have a life, you know.”

“Yeah, one day,” he smirked at his friend and Poe waved goodbye, leaving Ben alone on the stage. There was something about the echo of an empty auditorium that resonated in Ben and calmed him down as he took in deep, steady breaths. He was all alone, but the A.V. Booth was still unlocked, so he knew he could shut off the stage lights and lock up when he was done, allowing Mr. C and Miss Holdo the opportunity to leave. They knew they could trust him with anything related to the drama club. He was president, after all. 

When he was sure that he was all alone, he did some breathing exercises and focused on becoming the character of Kylo Ren. It was the most intense role he had ever played before, and it took a certain mindset for Ben to truly merge with the essence of his character. Picking up his script, he moved to stage left for his entrance, his gait heavy and furious as he entered the stage. Kylo Ren was driven by anger and ambition, and it had to reflect in every line he said, every movement he made. Only towards the end of the monologue was he to soften his stance and his tone, in order to convey the tormented feelings of the man underneath the anger. 

He was happy that he was alone for this first walk-through of the scene, because his monologue was dense and it took him a few read-throughs to get the energy right. He had to control the anger in his voice so that he wasn’t seen as a maniacal zealot, but as a conflicted and tormented soul. Everything about his posture needed to seem powerful yet vulnerable. It was a myriad of feelings he needed to convey with every part of him. 

That was what Ben loved most about acting. The fact that he had to dedicate every part of himself into a transformation that was authentic and real. The process of working out his monologue was difficult, but rewarding in a way that he couldn’t put to words. He didn’t want to seem pretentious, but like many other actors he believed that acting was a craft and he took it very seriously.

Serious enough that he didn’t notice the sole figure watching him act from stage left.

When he finally finished a second run-through of the monologue, figuring out the pacing and some of the blocking, he felt more than a little bit wrung out, like he had pushed himself to run an extra mile in gym class. His exhaustion hit him all at once, and he looked down at his watch only to realize that he had put in an extra hour of work all by himself. He rubbed his face with his hands and pushed them through his hair.

He needed to close down the auditorium and go home, try to get some rest after a particularly exhausting day. When he heard footsteps behind him, he wondered if he was going to get in trouble with the weekend custodian again, until a soft voice with a British lilt echoed around him in the empty auditorium.

“That was amazing,” he turned on the spot to see Rey walk out of the darkened wing, her hands, forearms and jeans covered in white paint. She was holding her copy of the script in her hands, looking more than a little bit guilty.

“H-how,” Ben had to swallow past the sudden lump in his throat, his voice hoarse from practicing the intense scene. “How long have you been watching?”

“Um,” Rey looked down at her script and Ben noticed some high spots of color on her cheeks. “Since you said the line ‘I know what I have to do but I don’t know if I have the strength to do it.’”

“Ah.”

“The first time.”

“Oh,” Ben breathed, realizing that Rey had been watching him for far longer than he thought as embarrassment flooded through him. “I-I only just started working on it, it’s nowhere near close to what it needs to be…”

She interrupted him softly, looking down at the script she was now rolling in her hands and bending out of shape. “I thought you were great.”

“What are you still doing here?” He couldn’t process the fact that Rey had just watched him be incredibly vulnerable and blurted out his most pressing question.

“The paint was really thick,” she started to explain, pointing to the front hallway. “Mr. Calrissian asked me to prime the canvas so it took forever to dry and I had to do two coats. I came in to see if someone could help me bring it into the auditorium but when I came back inside everyone was gone.” She shot him something that resembled a grimace. “Everyone but you.” She took a deep breath. “Mr. C wants me to be the stage manager but I don’t know how to read a script very well, so I was watching you and trying to follow along. I’m sorry, I should have let you know I was here sooner.”

“No, no it’s okay,” Ben rubbed the back of his neck and it felt hot from embarrassment. “I’ll help you with the canvas if you want.”

“I would really appreciate it,” Rey explained. “It’s still a bit wet and I can’t roll it up. I tried dragging it down the hallway and some paint got on the floor. I don’t want Mr. C to get in trouble.”

“No problem.” It was a struggle to get his heart to stop feeling like it was going to burst out of his chest.

Ben followed Rey out of the auditorium and into the front vestibule, where the primed canvas still looked quite shiny to his eyes. He grabbed one of the edges while Rey went to the opposite side, his long arms stopping most of it from dragging on the floor.

“Ok, tell me if I’m about to walk into a wall.”

Rey’s smile brightened as she nodded. “Okay, take a step back and then turn to my right, your left.”

“Got it.” 

They navigated the short distance to the stage doors and brought the giant canvas into the backstage area without tripping over their feet. The backstage was littered with old props, ancient scenery and other remnants of past shows, and they slightly folded the canvas and lifted it up in tandem so it wouldn’t snag on anything. Finally, they reached the stage and laid down the canvas so it would have a flat place to dry until Monday. His hands had a little bit of paint on them but it was nothing in comparison to Rey, who looked to be more paint than person on her hands and arms. 

“I never could have done that myself,” Rey expelled a lungful of air and rubbed her dirty hands on her paint-stained jeans. “Thanks, Ben.”

“Glad I was here to help,” he gave her a short nod. “Is there anything else that needs to be put away?”

“No, I already emptied and cleaned the tins and rollers. It was just the canvas that was giving me trouble.” She looked down at herself. “I’m gonna need a shower when I get home.”

_Do not think of Rey in the shower, do not think of Rey in the shower._

“Ok,” he looked around, still feeling a little awkward around her. “We have to lock down the auditorium for the day. Do you want to get the stage doors while I take care of the audience exits? I’ll meet you at the AV Booth so we don’t get stuck in the dark.” Once again he thought about that morning, and how nice it had felt to wrap his arms around her shoulders and be the one she relied on. 

“Yeah, totally.” 

Ben dutifully made sure all the exits were locked before grabbing his bag and meeting Rey by the AV Booth. He opened a door from the inside to let some light in as she shut off the stage and house lights, blanketing the room in darkness. Rey locked the door with her key and joined him in the vestibule, making sure the door was locked from the outside.

“Okay, looks good to me.” Ben said, wondering how he was lucky enough to get to spend more time with the object of his affections. Even covered in paint she looked beautiful, and the fact that she was still using her accent around him was enough to make his previous embarrassment wash away. 

However, now they were just standing there in the front of the school together, neither one knowing what to say next. She was doing that thing again with her paint-stained fingers, twisting them together in a way that looked almost painful.

“So, I’ll see you on Monday?” She offered with a tight smile. “Don’t we have an economics test on Tuesday?”

“It’s a quiz, I think,” he would have to check once he got home, but he got an idea then that instantly brightened his mood. “I’ll text you to make sure. If that’s okay.”

Unless his sight was betraying him, her energy instantly shifted from awkward to energized in an instant. Maybe she felt this thing between them too? This need for contact and communication that only got more intense with every moment they spent together. 

“Yeah, totally!” She seemed to rein in her enthusiasm a bit as she played with the strap on her backpack. “No, yeah, you can text me whenever, that’s cool.”

“Okay,” something was urging him to ask more questions, to stretch out this time with her in whatever ways he could. He decided to listen to his intuition. “How are you getting home?”

“Oh,” her brows furrowed a bit, like she hadn’t thought about it yet. “Well, I guess I’m going to call an Uber. My parents had to leave today for a business trip.”

“You don’t drive?” It was unheard of for a girl as popular as Rey to not have a car, but she shook her head sadly. 

“No, my parents don’t want me driving.” Rey shrugged, but there was a tightness to her expression he didn’t like. “It’s a long story.”

“You can tell me in the car, let’s go.” He started to walk towards the main exit but didn’t hear her following. He turned around to find her still rooted in the same spot, her eyes wide and disbelieving. “What’s the matter?”

“You...I…” she stuttered, not really knowing what to say. “I live kind of far.”

“It can’t be too far.” She blinked twice, her face still a mask of emotions he couldn’t understand. “I normally drive everyone home from practice anyway. It’s okay.”

She hesitated for another moment before nodding. “Okay.”

Ben couldn’t believe his luck. Not only would he get to spend more time with Rey, but he now had permission to text her whenever he wanted. Before this week he had thought himself invisible to her eyes, but now, he felt important. He was driving Rey home in lieu of her parents, who didn’t really seem to be around much.

They approached his car, which looked about a decade older than Ben was but still ran smoothly enough for his Dad to pass it down to Ben when he’d gotten his license at the end of 11th grade. His dad called it the Falcon, even though it was an old Subaru from the late 90’s. Silver, with spots of paint chipping off, it was roomy enough to seat all of his friends comfortably and didn’t require too much maintenance. Watching Rey slip into the passenger seat was so surreal Ben thought he might have to pinch himself to make sure this wasn’t just a hallucination.

“Alright, which way?” He asked at the intersection of the main road. 

“Left,” she said. “I live in Old Coruscant.” Ah, Kaydel’s part of town, where the houses were the size of small mansions. 

He always thought he was lucky to live in Coruscant, one of the richest neighborhoods in the area. His mother was on the Coruscant Board of Education and was a professor at a local college. His father, a retired Air Force pilot, apparently had a pension that kept the family very comfortable, and did odd jobs with his friends to stay busy. But the people who lived in Old Coruscant were another breed entirely. Ben should have guessed that a family who could move from Britain to Long Island was probably loaded.

They worked their way into the residential part of Old Coruscant, where the driveways were long and the houses were hidden by tall fences and intricate landscaping. 

“I’m surprised your parents won’t let you drive. You live so far away from the school.”

Rey was quiet, and when he looked over at her there was worry in her gaze. “I-I had a bad experience back when I lived in England.”

“Hey, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” he reassured her. “I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable.”

“No, I think I want to tell you,” she bit her lip and that urge to kiss her came back again, wishing he could ease the stress from her being. “I just don’t want anyone else to know about it.”

“I won’t tell anyone,” he said quietly while she pointed for him to turn. He hadn’t seen a driveway in a while and the houses were only getting bigger.

“I got in trouble a lot, in year 10. That’s like freshman year,” she took a deep breath and continued. “My friends, well, they weren’t really my friends, I know that now. But they were drunk and I wasn’t, and they asked me to drive them home from a party. I didn’t have my license yet and was pulled over. My parents freaked out.”

“Is that why you moved here?”

She wasn’t looking at him. “Among other things.” She pointed to the right of her. “This is my place up ahead.”

Ben put on his turning signal, but there were no sidewalks to pull over to. He just sat idle on the road, putting the car in park while he looked at Rey’s house.

Or should he say Rey’s mansion.

It was probably the biggest house he had ever seen in person, with a long driveway and dozens of trees and shrubs lining the property. It seemed to be only two levels, but there were multiple wings branching off to where he couldn’t see. He’d always thought his house was pretty big, but he figured three of them could fit inside Rey’s home and still have room to spare. He knew he couldn’t drop her off here, because she would have to walk down what looked like an impossibly long driveway, so he put the car back into drive and turned down the long, ornate path.

“You live here with your parents?” He was pretty sure his jaw dropped when he took in the land that without a doubt cost her parents millions of dollars.

“Yeah,” her voice sounded hollow.

“And they’re not home?”

“No.”

He didn’t know what else to say as he pulled into a circular entrance. There was a long garage with a sleek black Audi parked in front, but it was eerily quiet, and Ben felt bad leaving her here alone. He didn’t know what else to say after he put the car in park again. He knew his car wasn’t the newest or the prettiest, but compared to the splendor around him, it felt like a piece of junk.

“Thank you for driving me home,” Rey said sadly, and it looked like her entire being was trying to fold into itself, making her look small and frail. He was so used to seeing the smiling, confident version of Rey that the girl next to him almost looked like a stranger. 

“Anytime, Rey.” He wished there was something else he could say, something that would make her face brighten up again into the girl he had spent so many hours dreaming about. Suddenly, a thought popped into his head as he remembered something she had mentioned before when they were at school. Anything to keep her in his space for just a little bit longer. “So, stage manager, huh?”

“What?” She looked up at him, confused, until understanding began to blossom. “Oh, yeah. I’m kind of excited. I heard it’s a big responsibility.”

“It absolutely is,” he nodded, noticing how she sat up just a little taller with his confirmation. “The show could never run without one.” He prayed to whatever God existed that he wasn’t overstepping his bounds. “If you’re still having trouble understanding the script, I can help you.” He smirked at her, his confidence building by the second. “You need a teacher, Rey. And I don’t mean Mr. Calrissian.”

Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime of waiting, she smiled, her lovely grin stretching across her face. “Yeah, that sounds great.”

“So I’ll text you,” he confirmed with a nod. “About the economics quiz and the science of script reading.”

“Okay,” she was practically beaming as she reached for the door handle. “Thank you, Ben, for everything.”

“I’m here for you, Rey. If you need me, you have my number.”

“Thank you for listening, Ben.” She worried at her bottom lip. “Just, please don’t tell anyone what I told you, or where I live.” Her gaze was shy again. “You’re the only person who’s ever seen my house.”

“Really?” If he were as popular as Rey Patine, he probably would have had parties here every weekend, especially since her parents never seemed to be home. “Not even Jannah or Zorii?”

“No,” Rey replied bashfully, “I don’t want anyone to think of me differently.”

“You have my word, Rey. No one will know.” Wild horses couldn’t drag this special secret from him. A secret that only he knew about. The fact that she trusted him this much left him reeling as she unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed her bag. “And for the record, none of this has changed how I think about you. No matter where you live, you’re still Rey.” 

Her eyes wide, she gave her head a little shake, looking deep in thought. Before Ben could even react, she quickly turned back towards him, leaning over the center console to place a soft kiss on his cheek. He was stunned as she bolted from the car, not even saying goodbye as she slammed the door and ran towards her house, disappearing from sight in the grand entryway.

He pressed his fingers against the spot on his right cheek, the shock melting into pure happiness as he grinned at nothing in the emptiness of his car. Just last week he thought he was invisible to Rey, but now, he was pretty sure the girl of his dreams could truly see him, and it left him feeling richer than all the families that lived in Old Coruscant.

He grinned the entire way home, even after getting lost and needing the GPS to get him out of Rey’s neighborhood. 

That night, he texted her about the economics test ( _“Damn, it is a test”_ ) and asked if she wanted to study with him at the library on Monday during lunch.

Her response ( _Yes, def, see you then <3 _) only solidified what Ben had been too afraid to admit to himself before now.

He didn’t have a crush on Rey Patine. He was pretty sure he was in love with her.


	6. Future Plans

It was early when Rey walked into the building on Monday morning, holding her coffee as she said a polite “Thank you” to the Uber driver who had dropped her off at school. She had a student council meeting during zero period and made her way up to the classroom where her advisor, Mr. Andor, held their bi-weekly meetings. 

As secretary for the class, her only real responsibility was to take meeting notes and occasionally vote or give her opinion on certain events around school. Today they were talking about senior prom and the various venues in the area that were suitable for the event. Rey was barely paying attention, her mind distracted by more pleasant thoughts.

Like the fact that she was going to spend more time with Ben today.

She still couldn’t believe that she had summoned the courage to kiss him in the car on Saturday after rehearsal. His skin was warm and smooth, and now that she knew what it felt like, she wanted to kiss him again. Preferably on the lips, but she would take whatever she could get at this point.

For a moment, Rey wondered if she was being too obvious with her crush, but she remembered that the entire point of joining stage crew was to get closer to Ben, and she figured that her plan was working. He certainly noticed her now, and if she was coming on too strong he wouldn’t have asked her to study with him this afternoon during lunch. 

However, there was a part of her that was still cautious. Maybe Ben was just being nice. Maybe he didn’t feel the same energy she felt every time they were together and was simply humoring her because she was popular and new to the theatre world.

But the way he looked at her sometimes made her believe that he did feel the same. That maybe her boldness was helping him to be more bold as well. She could only hope it were true as she looked down at the paper where she was supposed to be taking notes. She had drawn a heart in the corner of the page with _“RP + BS”_ inside of it and hastily scribbled it out before Mr. Andor asked for the notes to be put in the council folder. Her notes had never looked so messy before as she hastily scribbled in some more information.

About ten minutes before first period the meeting ended, and she handed in the meeting notes to Mr. Andor before joining the frantic madness of the hallways. Rey walked to her locker with her head in the clouds, not realizing that Zorii was calling her from down the hallway.

“Rey!” Zorii maneuvered herself around the groups of people to make her way towards Rey. “Coach was looking for you. She wants to talk to you before class.”

Rey frowned, knowing exactly why Coach Erso wanted to talk to her. “I’ll find her later, I’m going to be late for first period.”

“She said she would write you a pass,” Zorii shrugged. “I tried texting you but you never answered me.”

Rey pulled out her phone, realizing that her daydreams had rendered her ignorant of multiple text messages from both Zorri and Jannah. A thrill shot down her spine when she noticed one from Ben as well.

“Okay,” she sighed. “I’ll see you later.” Zorri nodded and Rey turned around, heading in the opposite direction of her physics lab and towards Coach Erso’s office by the gym. There were fewer people in the halls now so close to the bell, and she quickly read Ben’s text as she tried not to walk into anyone around her.

_Wanna meet at the library at the beginning of lunch? Mr. Thanisson posted a study guide this morning. I printed a copy for you._

She typed out a quick response, feeling giddy at the thoughtful gesture. _Yeah sure, I’ll meet you there. Thanks!_

She didn’t add a heart this time, not wanting to be too overbearing with her affections. As much as their relationship had evolved in the past week, she was still afraid that she was going to scare him away somehow.

Rey approached the familiar office and saw Coach Erso at her computer, knocking softly before opening the door. “Coach? You wanted to see me?”

“Patine!” Coach Erso was definitely one of her favorite people in the world, taking in her grin while she swiveled in her desk chair to face Rey. “Sorry to pull you from class, but I need to talk to you about something big.” She pulled a file from her shelf that said “Rey Patine- Scouts” on it while Rey’s heart sank through her guts. Rey did not want to be having this conversation with her coach right now, but she knew it was inevitable.

“I got a phone call from Rutgers this weekend,” Coach started, sorting through her file while pulling out a few documents. “They want you for their team this fall, Rey. This is the most secure offer you’ve gotten so far. They’re willing to pay for everything.”

Rey had to school her features and took a deep breath before trusting herself to speak. Rutgers was in New Jersey, about an hour and a half away from Coruscant. It was a great college, but Rey was still so unsure about what she wanted. Having to face it right now with her coach was making her feel panicked. 

“I-I don’t know about that, Coach. I’m still unsure if I want to play in college.”

Coach Erso’s lips formed a tight line as her eyes narrowed. “Rey, you are one of the most talented players I have ever seen. This is an opportunity that other kids would kill for. I don’t think you understand how important this could be for your future.” She sighed deeply. “Your guidance counselor told me you haven’t made an appointment yet for college planning. I’m starting to get worried about you.”

Rey could feel the anxiety creeping up as she started twisting her fingers. “I know I’ve been procrastinating, but there’s a lot on my mind right now…”

Coach interrupted her, “And Zorii told me that you joined a new club? Stage Crew?” She shook her head. “I don’t know where your focus is these days, kiddo. I already called your parents and told them my concerns.”

Her panic shot through the roof at the mention of her parents. “You called them?”

“I left a message on both their cells. I’m guessing they’re on another business trip?” Rey had confided to her coach numerous times about her parent’s absence and felt a hot shame course through her. 

“Yeah, they might be back this weekend or something. I don’t know.”

“Well I hope they do. And I hope you sit down with them and talk about what’s going on with you, Rey. I don’t want to see one of my favorite kids fall through the cracks like this.” Coach Erso passed her a large red booklet with the words Rutgers University on top. “Read through the material and look at everything Rutgers has to offer. I think it might be a good fit for you.” She gave Rey a tight smile. “And please see Mr. Malbus sometime today and schedule an appointment with him for college planning. He’s worried about you too.”

“Okay, Coach,” Rey was trying really hard not to cry in front of her favorite teacher. “Can I have a pass to physics now?”

“Sure, Rey,” she gave Rey the late pass and her legs couldn’t carry her fast enough from the stifling atmosphere of the tiny office. She popped into a bathroom that was close to her physics class and shoved the Rutgers booklet into her bag before splashing her face with cold water and taking deep breaths. There was no way she was going to avoid a conversation with her parents now that Coach had called them, and it was the last thing she wanted to think about as she made her way to class. 

Thankfully, her lunch date with Ben was infinitely more pleasant to think about then her tumultuous thoughts surrounding her future. A future that her grandfather had been planning since before she was born.

A future she wanted nothing to do with.

It was easy to throw herself into her schoolwork for the rest of the morning, counting down the minutes until she could see Ben again at the library. They had economics together during third period, but besides a small smile he had sent her way, there was no other interaction with him during class. Zorii kept her distracted with questions about her conversation with Coach Erso and Rey was trying her best to ignore her before Thanisson started the class and saved her from another conversation she didn’t want to have.

When the bell rang to end fifth period Rey basically bolted from her desk, heading to the opposite side of the building and towards the library. She ran into Jannah and some other girls from the team on the way, and they tried to pull her towards the cafeteria.

“Come on, Patine, I need to show you what Beau texted me this morning,” Rey felt guilty when she pulled out of Jannah’s light hold.

“Can you show me later? I have a huge economics test to study for and I’m meeting someone in the library.”

“Who?” asked Bazine, a girl on her team that Rey had never really vibed with. 

“I’ll talk to you later,” Rey avoided answering and left her teammates in the hallway, hearing their calls fade away as she entered the library.

It was already packed and the bell hadn’t even rung yet, leaving Rey craning her neck for any sign of Ben Solo. She didn’t see him at any of the tables, and her heart sunk in her chest. Her school was known for it’s academic excellence, and at CHS, the more AP classes you took, the better. A packed library was normal during the lunch periods, but the fact that there wasn’t a single open seat was disheartening. The cafeteria was not the place to be studying for a test and there were no other options.

“It’s packed today,” came a warm, deep voice from behind her. Rey turned around and craned her neck to see Ben’s worried expression as he looked around the library. Her heart skipped a beat as she took in his casual black hoodie and dark denim jeans. “Maybe we should just study in the hallway or something.”

“No, we might get in trouble,” Rey worried her bottom lip before an idea popped into her head that was too perfect to ignore. “I have an idea,” she said brightly as his eyebrows raised in interest. “Follow me.”

When they left the library the halls were basically empty, save for a few kids who were late to class and lingering in the halls. Feeling bold, she reached for his hand and pulled him in the direction of the auditorium, taking out her keys to the A.V. Booth. A thrill shot through her when he squeezed her hand, lacing their fingers together.

“I like the way you think, Sweetheart.” 

Rey was glad that she was leading him so he couldn’t see the scarlet blush that exploded on her face and neck at his words.

The door to the auditorium was open, and they made their way to the AV Booth as Rey dropped Ben’s hand to unlock the door. “Hello?” She called up the stairs, turning on the lights and checking to make sure no one else was there. She wasn’t skipping class, but she still felt like she was breaking the rules as she brought Ben upstairs with her.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been up here before,” Ben breathed as he took in the view of the stage from the booth window. “I’m usually always down there.” He turned to her with a soft smile as she sat on a couch that smelled like dust and moth balls.

“Where do all these old couches come from?” She asked, noticing a metal coil sticking out from the fluff of one of the cushions. “They’re everywhere.”

“Drama families like to donate furniture whenever they can for the different productions. Sometimes we’re allowed to keep them and they wind up as hang-out furniture, or can be used in multiple shows.” He sat down on the other end of the couch and opened up his backpack. “Looks like stage crew adopted one of the old ones.”

“Well, at least we have a place that’s quiet and comfy to study.” She smiled at him while he passed her the study guide he had printed out for her. She pulled out her economics binder and a pen, trying to focus on the work and not the fact that his masculine scent was far more pleasing than the dusty couch they were sharing. 

“Yeah, this was a great idea.” He peeked over at her and they shared a small smile before they got started, running through the study guide as she forced herself to focus. 

It took them close to a half an hour to get through the information on the study guide, and there was about five minutes left in class before they had to go to gym. She wasn’t a fan of economics, but studying with Ben had cleared up a lot of information about the unit. She closed her book and went to put it away when the red Rutgers booklet fell out from between the pages. She must have gotten it mixed up in her binder when she shoved it into her bag earlier in the day.

“What’s this?” Ben asked, leaning down and picking it up before Rey could. “Rutgers?”

“Yeah,” she replied as he passed it over to her. She shoved the red booklet into her bag, not caring if the pages got bent. “Coach Erso told me today that I impressed the scouts. They want me to play for them.”

“Whoa, that’s awesome, Rey,” Ben seemed enthusiastic, but Rey was anything but. His smile melted away as he took in her surly demeanor. “What, is it not awesome?”

“No,” she shook her head. “Yeah, I mean, it’s awesome. It is. I think I could be happy at Rutgers, but I know my parents are going to flip out.”

“Why? Didn’t you say they’re letting you do what you want?”

“Well, yeah, as long as it’s under their terms.” She sighed. “Or should I say, my grandfather’s.”

“I’m not following.”

Rey sighed deeply, once again wanting to share so much with Ben as fear held her back. He had the ability to make Rey open up in ways she had never done before, even with her friends and parents. It was scary being so honest and open, but Ben made her want to share. 

“My grandfather has been planning my life for me since before I was born,” she was afraid to look him in the eye as she confessed. “He always used to talk about legacy, and how the company needed to stay in the family, and the strength of the family name.” She could feel her eyes welling with tears as she sniffed softly. “It’s bad enough that he has my parents on a leash. It feels like he’s taken them from me. I thought moving to the US would fix things but it just made it worse.” She couldn’t help herself as stress overwhelmed her and tears started to fall. She fell forward into her hands as she cried softly. 

“Hey,” Ben cooed softly as he moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her as she turned and buried her face in his black hoodie. He smelled divine and she wanted to nuzzle into his side and never leave as she wrapped her arms around his middle. “It’s okay.”

“I don’t think it is,” she cried, pulling back and finally looking up at him. She expected to see pity in his eyes, but there was nothing but compassion shimmering there. “They told me I could do what I want, but I know they truly want me to go back to England and go to Oxford, just like my dad and grandpa. They want me to major in business and not engineering. They want me to dedicate my life to the one thing that has always made my life miserable. I can’t do it, Ben.”

“Have you talked to them about this?”

“Not really,” she sniffled, her tears drying up as she felt embarrassed for crying all over Ben. “But I know it’s what my grandfather wants. He’s not the nicest guy.” That was an understatement, but Ben didn’t need to know that much about Poppa Sheev.

He started to rub her back in soothing circles as she composed herself. “I think you need to talk to them, Rey. I want to hope that your parents will support you no matter what you choose.”

“Well, I can’t avoid the conversation now, Coach Erso called them this morning.”

“It might be good that she did that,” Ben smiled softly. “Now you have some time to think about what you want to tell them. Remember, it’s your life. It doesn’t matter what they did. Sometimes you gotta let the past die so you can become who you were meant to be.”

Rey didn’t answer him, just looked up into his beautiful dark eyes as she mulled over his words. They sounded familiar to her as recognition hit swiftly. “Did you just quote your character from the play?”

“Yeah,” he said bashfully. “Kylo Ren makes some pretty good points between all the murder and angst.”

With that she finally laughed, hearing the bell ring in the distance as she realized they had lost track of time. “Come on, Kylo, we gotta go to gym.” She stood up to leave but Ben held on to her elbow lightly.

“Are you going to be okay, Rey?”

She nodded softly. “I think so. You’re right, though. I do need to talk to them. I have a lot that I need to figure out.” She reached for his hand once more, and he took it as she pulled him up from the couch. “Thank you, again, for listening to me. I didn’t realize my life was so dramatic until we started hanging out.”

“Like I said, I’m here for you.” He reached over and cupped her cheek softly. “Always.”

Rey knew that they were probably already late for gym, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was the fact that his face was inching closer to hers, and that his full lips were smiling gently as he held her cheek in his large, warm hand. She wanted to kiss him so badly she ached, and her eyes fluttered closed as he started to tilt his head towards her.

“Hey! Who’s up there?” The booming voice of Mr. Calrissian snapped them out of the moment as they practically jumped away from one another. “You better not be cutting class!”

“It’s me, Mr. C!” Rey called as she quickly grabbed her bag and made her way to the stairs, Ben following close behind. “We weren’t cutting, just studying before gym.”

She could see her best friend’s dad at the foot of the stairs, his hands on his hips as his eyes narrowed. “Well get there Patine. Solo. Or else your booth privileges are rescinded.”

“Yes, sir,” Ben said respectfully, and the two teens were power walking down the hall towards the gym as they felt Mr. Calrissian’s eyes glaring holes into their backs. 

“He can be really scary sometimes,” Ben whispered to her as they made their way down the hall. “He’s one of my dad’s best friends.”

“This town is way too small,” Rey rolled her eyes as they turned the corner together. “Everybody knows one another.”

“Yeah, try spending your whole life here,” Ben sighed. “It’s exhausting.”

They finally approached the gym as the bell rang overhead, and thankfully they still had a few minutes to change before Mr. Klaud expected them. “See you later?” Ben asked before heading down to the locker room.

“I have an away game today, I’m leaving early.” She frowned deeply, knowing that Mr. Calrissian had interrupted a monumental moment between them and feeling bereft. “Do you have practice every day this week?”

“Yeah, I do,” he said sadly. “I’ll text you.”

“Okay,” they parted ways, and even though they were heading to the same class, it felt like Ben was light years away from her as she made her way to the locker room to change for gym.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JSYK Beau refers to Beaumont Kim, the character that Dominic Monaghan played in TROS. I'm pulling characters out of every corner of SW lore.


	7. Emotional Whiplash

Ben Solo was in a really bad mood.

He wasn’t a stranger to bad moods, and his friends were normally used to his prolonged silences and coarse attitude, but today was definitely one of the worst days of his life.

Which particularly sucked, because he had spent most of the morning walking on air. He had a lunch date with Rey and had spent the entire morning bursting with excitement, thinking about her quick little kiss in the car over and over again. Playing out fantasy after fantasy in his head, lost in daydreams. 

But the reality of their study date was so much better than anything he could have ever dreamed of.

They were alone together in the AV Booth, and they had almost kissed. For real, this time. On the lips. He had been so close to actually kissing the girl of his dreams it felt more like an out-of-body experience.

Until they were rudely interrupted by Mr. Calrissian and the fantasy bubble had promptly burst.

Rey had barely looked him in the eye after that as they quickly made their way to gym. Mr. Klaud had assigned badminton teams for the day, so he couldn’t even hide in the corner with Finn. Instead, he was stuck with Hux and Snap Wexley, two of the most insufferable, competitive jocks in the school. At least he had Jannah on his team as a buffer, but she kept shooting him odd looks he couldn’t interpret. For a moment, he wondered if Jannah knew anything about his budding relationship with Rey and shut down even further, sinking into his bad mood as scenario after scenario played through his mind. None of them were good.

But the icing on the proverbial cake came sometime during French class, looking at Rey’s empty seat from across the room. She had left early for her away game and the class felt bereft without her. A soft buzzing in his pocket alerted him to a text message, and when he saw it was from his dad, he already knew it wasn’t going to be good.

Ben loved his dad. He truly did. But it was hard to communicate with him and Ben often felt that his parents didn’t know how to handle a teenager sometimes. His relationship with his mom was pretty good, but he struggled to connect to his father, who he had always considered as a hero when he was growing up. 

His parents had always been supportive of him and his endeavors, but lately their conversations had been devolving into fights and he didn’t know how to break out of that cycle. There was something about his dad in particular that set him off these days. Like nothing he did was ever good enough. He looked down at the text message and braced himself for the worst.

_I got a call from Lando, kid. We need to talk when you get home._

_Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck,_ he said to himself, gripping the cell phone in his hand before returning it to his pocket. Mr. Calrissian had called his dad about catching him and Rey in the AV Booth together. He could already feel the anger bristling under his skin, and the last place he wanted to be was stuck in his French class without any outlet for his frustration. 

The rest of the day was torturous for Ben as he struggled through the final period. When he showed up to rehearsal he barely spoke to anyone, and his friends knew him well enough to leave him alone. He sequestered himself in the backstage area, pouring over his script as a means of focus and trying to channel his frustrations into his character.

Well, Kylo Ren was definitely the right character to be funneling anger into. He was so intense during rehearsal that he almost made Kaydel cry during one of their scenes, red faced and basically spitting out the lines at her.

“You come from nothing,” his breath was heaving as he screamed his lines. “You’re nothing!”

“Okay, cut,” Miss Holdo said from the audience as Kaydel rushed off the stage, shaking her head as she muttered something under her breath that Ben couldn’t hear. Ben exhaled deeply, lost between his emotions and the material, feeling a little bit too close to the character as he tried to chase away the dark energy that refused to leave him. “Ben, you need to pull back a little bit. This is coming on too strong.”

Ben took a few deep breaths, rubbing his face with his hands and not trusting himself to speak yet. He was too much of a coward to make eye contact with Miss Holdo or anyone else in the cast. “I’m just trying to play the role as authentically as possible. You said that Kylo Ren operates on anger, and that’s what I’m doing.”

“Yes,” Miss Holdo said softly. “But it’s Kira who helps Kylo break free from that cycle of anger. In her compassion she is able to access his softness, his desire for change. Kira is the light that balances Kylo’s darkness.” 

Ben closed his eyes, thinking about the only person in his life that could balance out the darkness inside of him. Her kind smile, her beautiful accent, the softness of her skin and the scent of her hair that still lingered on his sweater.

“I’m sorry,” there was a slight tremor to his voice and he evened out his breathing. “It’s been a rough day.”

“How about we end a little bit early today?” Miss Holdo looked sympathetic, which made Ben feel even worse than he did before. Drama club had always been his refuge, and today he let his anger and frustration ruin that. 

“Okay,” Ben replied, his head down as he walked off the stage. He dared to peek up at his friends in the audience and they all had various looks of concern on their faces, besides Kaydel who still looked a little pissed. “I’m sorry, Kay.”

She shrugged, not making eye contact. “It’s okay.” Kaydel said goodbye to the others before leaving abruptly, and the slamming door of the auditorium only made him feel worse. 

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath, feeling absolutely awful. Suddenly, he felt bulky arms wrap around his waist from behind. He craned his neck to see Finn behind him, giving him a tight hug that made him more than a little uncomfortable. “Finn, what the hell are you doing?”

“There’s too much Kylo Ren in you right now,” Finn explained while Rose and Poe shook their heads. “You need a hug to balance out that energy.”

“Please get off of me.”

“Rose, Poe, get in on this hug!”

“No thank you,” Poe said, grabbing his bag. “I like having arms that aren’t broken.”

“Come on,” Rose pulled Finn off of Ben by his ear as Finn protested. “Leave the guy alone.”

Ben didn’t want to admit it, but his friend’s antics actually made him feel a little bit better as they made their way to his car. Rose took her normal seat in the front but it just felt wrong to see her there after what he and Rey had shared on Saturday. 

Everyone was quiet on the way home, too afraid to incite the ire of Ben again as he thought about what waited for him when he walked into his house. As guilty as he felt about his silence, he couldn’t bring himself to talk to his friends about his feelings and frustrations. The only person to ever get him to open up at all felt a million miles away from him right now as he remembered those precious moments in the AV Booth before Mr. C ruined everything. He wished he could call Rey, but since she was at an away game, she probably wouldn’t be home for a while, and his conversation with his parents was inevitable as soon as he walked in the door.

“You gonna be okay?” Rose asked softly as he pulled in front of her house. She lived the closest to him, so she was always the last to be dropped off. 

“I don’t know,” he admitted, not looking at her. 

“We missed you during lunch today,” she smiled tightly at him. “I didn’t notice Rey at her table either.”

“Rose,” he warned her, trying not to snap at one of the only people he could tolerate on a regular basis. “Don’t.”

“I'll see you tomorrow,” she said sadly, leaving the car while Ben started to panic. The last thing he wanted was for another girl in his life to be mad at him. It was bad enough things felt awkward with Rey, and now Kaydel was mad at him too. 

“We almost kissed!” He blurted out before Rose could shut the door. She turned around and re-entered the car as his head fell forward onto the steering wheel with a dull thud.

“What happened?” 

“We were studying for economics in the AV Booth and Mr. C caught us right before we were about to kiss. Then he called my dad.”

“Oh shit.”

“This is hell,” Ben muttered to himself. “I’m in hell.”

“You need to calm down, Ben. I see this as a good thing.”

He finally looked up from the steering wheel to gawk at her incredulously. “How is this a good thing?”

“Well, for starters, you now know that she likes you!” Rose enthused brightly. “And do you really want your first kiss to be in the musty, dark AV Booth?”

“Well, it kind of seemed romantic at the time.”

“No no no! Now this is your chance to sweep her off her feet. You need to do this the right way from now on and ask her out on a proper date.” There was a determined fire in her eyes that kinda freaked Ben out. “I know you can do this.”

“I’m glad someone has faith in me,” Ben said dryly.

“As for your parents, you’re going to have to bite the bullet and get that conversation over with. But before you go any further with Rey, you should ask her out for real.”

“I have to survive my parents first.”

“You’ll be fine.” Rose went to leave the car again and this time he let her go. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell the guys about this.”

“Thanks,” he called out to her before pulling back onto the road and making his way home. Both of his parent’s cars were in the driveway and he pulled up in front of the house, his heart already pounding at the impending conversation. Since he couldn’t hide in his car forever, he grabbed his backpack and made his way inside of the house, noticing his parents in the kitchen.

“Hey,” he said, dropping his bag on the couch before grabbing a water bottle from the refrigerator and taking a deep drink.

“Hey yourself, kid.” His father, Han, said gruffly, and he waited for the blow. “You’re home early.”

“Yeah, Miss Holdo ended rehearsal early today.”

“Ben,” his mother Leia started softly, and he braced himself for the blow as he leaned against the kitchen island. “We are so happy for you!”

He shook his head slowly as he struggled to understand. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you have a girlfriend! We can’t wait to hear all about her,” his mother was gushing while his dad just looked uncomfortable.

“R-rey is not my girlfriend,” he stuttered, having expected an explosion and not this admission of feelings. “I-I mean, she’s not my girlfriend yet. I mean, I would like it if she was but I don’t-”

“What were you doing up in that booth with her then?” Han interrupted with his hands on his hips. “Knitting sweaters?”

“We were studying for our economics test!” His head was spinning as each of his parents seemed to feel differently about the situation. “The library was too crowded to study there.”

“Lando says you two have been making googly eyes at one another since she joined stage crew last week,” Han sniffed. “She’s apparently Jannah’s best friend and he wants to make sure you’re treating her right.”

“Aww that’s so cute!” His mother had that look in her eyes that always made him feel like she was scheming something. “We should invite everyone over for dinner this weekend!”

“No way!” Ben slammed the water bottle on the counter-top and thankfully he had screwed the cap back on. “I promise you that I have been nothing but respectful.”

“Alright, well, respectful would be meeting her parents and introducing her to us. When is that going to happen?”

“Han, leave the kid alone,” Leia lightly tapped her husband on his shoulder. “Can’t you see that our baby Ben is in love?”

“Mom!” He grabbed the sides of his head, gripping his hair in his hands. At this point he didn’t know what was worse, the screaming match he had expected or the embarrassment he was currently suffering through. “Please, guys, we’ve only been talking for a week.”

“No more shenanigans in the AV Booth,” his father said seriously, pointing a finger at him. “And if you truly feel something for this girl, then we want to meet her before you take this any further.”

He couldn’t believe this was happening to him. They hadn’t even kissed yet and now he had to find a way to introduce Rey to his parents without it being creepy or awkward. At least he knew that her parents were away a lot, so that particular encounter could be pushed back a bit.

Ben thought about his conversation with Rose in the car and compared it to this embarrassing exchange with his parents. He didn’t think their almost-kiss in the AV Booth was disrespectful, but at the same time, they all had a point. If he really felt deeply for Rey, which he did, he needed to pull out the big guns and make her feel special. Rey was the kind of girl who needed to be swept off her feet, and he wanted to be the guy to do it.

“Can I invite her over for dinner this weekend?” He asked. “So you can meet her and we can hang out a little bit.” Ben had promised to help Rey understand the script better, so hanging out seemed innocent enough. Since his parents already knew about his feelings, he knew he needed to start slow or else risk their budding relationship altogether. It wasn’t the grand romantic gesture that Rose had suggested, but it was a start. 

“Of course!” Leia looked at Ben like he had hung the moon. “You just tell me when and we will order out from the bistro on Main Street.” She shot Han a serious look. “And we are all going to be on our best behavior, right Han?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled. “Right.”

“Then it’s settled.” Leia clapped brightly. “You just tell us when she’s coming over and we will have a wonderful dinner together, just the four of us!”

“Please don’t embarrass me,” Ben whined, already feeling nervous about having Rey over and meeting his parents. This day had gone from good to great to bad to humiliating all in the span of 12 hours. 

“I can’t make any promises, kid.” Han clapped a hand on his shoulders as he walked by his son. “But I mean it. No more monkeying around on Lando’s turf or else he’s going straight to Ackbar, and you do not need that old man on your back during your senior year.”

“Okay Dad,” he huffed, his frustration and embarrassment finally getting the best of him. “I get it.”

“Good,” Han awkwardly patted him once before leaving him with his mom in the kitchen. Ben groaned while his mother crowded his space and started to fuss, straightening out his sweater and smoothing his hair down behind his ears. He shook her hands away and fixed his hair the way he liked it. 

“Now that that’s all settled, why don’t you go upstairs honey and call that sweet girl? I’ll let you know when dinner is ready.”

“Yes, Mom,” their conversation had left him feeling exhausted and he trudged his way to his room, closing the door and letting his body slump against it. He fell to the floor with his head in his hands, wondering if Rey would even accept his invitation. He wasn’t even sure if she was home yet from her game, and quickly sent her a text message seeing if she was free to talk. When he didn’t hear back from her after five minutes he started doing some homework before his mom eventually called him down to dinner.

Ben avoided another awkward conversation with his parents and kept his head down, pushing his food around on his plate and barely tasting the meatloaf his mother had made. When his phone started ringing in his pocket he saw it was Rey and quickly asked to be excused, running to his room and shutting the door for privacy. He took a few deep breaths before answering, hoping he didn’t sound like a lunatic.

“Hello?”

“Ben?”

“Hi Rey,” he said, breathing out a sigh as he took in her beautiful accent. 

“I’m sorry, you texted me while I was still on the bus. I didn’t hear it.”

“Are you home now?”

“Yes, my Uber just dropped me off. What’s up?”

“Did you win?” Part of him was deflecting and trying to lengthen this conversation as far as he could take it. Another part of him was genuinely curious about her game.

“Yeah, we crushed them,” Rey laughed. “If we win the next game we make the playoffs.”

“When’s your next home game?”

“This Friday, same time as last week.”

“Great, I’ll be there,” his palms were sweating and he wiped them on his pants. “I’ll ask the others if they want to come too.” 

“Yes, I am looking forward to seeing my cheerleading squad again. I play better when you’re there.” 

Ben’s face flushed at her comment. “Yeah, well I like watching you kick ass.”

“Is this why you texted me?” She asked, her pretty accent making his heart pound. “To talk about field hockey?”

Well, he couldn’t deny it any longer. Ben sent up a silent prayer that he didn’t sound like an idiot and summoned as much courage as possible. “Well, no, um, Mr. Calrissian called my dad.” He rubbed the back of his neck, worried about her response. “He told him about us being in the AV Booth today.”

“Oh my God,” Rey gasped. “Ben, I am so sorry! I never should have brought us up there.”

“No, no, Rey, please don’t apologize.” He was doing this all wrong. “I’m not in trouble.”

“You’re not?”

“No, and I don’t regret being up there with you, but I realized something after I spoke to my parents about it.”

There was worry in her tone. “What’s that?”

 _Be brave Ben,_ he told himself. _Be brave!_

“I want you to come over this weekend and have dinner with me and my parents.” He said in a rush. “We can hang out and maybe work with the script a little bit.” Was he babbling? It sounded like he was babbling. “If that’s alright with you.”

“You want me to meet your parents?” She sounded incredulous and Ben didn’t know if it was bad or good, so he started rambling.

“Well, they know that we’ve been spending time together now, thanks to Mr. C, and they want to meet you. I completely understand if you don’t want to come over so there’s no pressure-”

“Ben, Ben!” Rey laughed lightly, interrupting him. “I would love to come over for dinner.”

“You would?” He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

“Yes,” he could almost hear her smile over the line. “How about Saturday, after rehearsal is over?”

“That sounds perfect.” All of his stress and panic left him in a giant exhale as a grin spread across his face. 

“My parents called me a little while ago, they’ll be home on Thursday. I’ll ask them to make sure it’s okay.” There was a short pause. “I want to thank you again for everything we talked about today. I’m going to talk to them about Rutgers when they get home.”

“That’s great, Rey,” he said softly. “I hope it goes well.”

“Me too.”

“I’m here for you if it doesn’t, you know. Feel free to call me if you want to talk.”

“I know, Ben. You have no idea how much it means to me. And, well…” she trailed off and he was hanging onto every word. “I was also thinking about applying to NYU.”

“NYU?” Did NYU have a field hockey team? 

“Yeah, I was thinking maybe college in the city would be fun.” Could she be considering going to school in the city because he was too? Was he really that lucky of a person? “At least I would be close to people I know.”

“Yeah,” he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Yeah that would be awesome.”

“So keep your fingers crossed that I survive this conversation with my parents.”

“Hey, I just survived one myself. I know how you feel.”

“And I’m really looking forward to Saturday, Ben. I can’t wait.”

“Me neither,” he said, and was shocked to realize that it was true. Despite his parents meddling in his love life, he was excited to introduce her to them. “I’ll see you in school?”

“Yeah, good luck on the economics test tomorrow.” There was another short pause before he could hear her shy voice again. “And for the record, Ben, I don’t regret what we did today either.”

He better end this call now before he started saying something really stupid and confessed everything in his heart to this amazing girl. “Have a nice night, Rey.”

“Goodnight.” She hung up the phone and Ben couldn’t believe that he had actually asked Rey out to dinner. Not only that, but she had said yes! His day had taken so many twists and turns it felt like he had whiplash as he tried to process everything that happened. It had gone from the best day, to the worst day, to the weirdest day in a span of hours, but he wouldn't change a thing about it. 

There was a knock on the door a few moments later, and when he answered it, his dad took in his ridiculous grin with a half-smile. “Everything okay, kid?”

“Yeah, Dad.” For the first time in a long time, things didn’t seem so awkward between him and his father and he hoped it would stay this way for a while. “She’s coming on Saturday.”

His dad looked slightly embarrassed before he opened his mouth and ruined the moment. “I don’t have to tell you to use protection or anything, do I?”

“Go away now, Dad!” Ben laughed before slamming the door, but heard his old man’s chuckle and one final comment from the other side before Han walked away.

“I can’t wait to meet this girl.”


	8. Parent Problems

Rey couldn’t stop pacing around her bedroom.

The sun was setting on the horizon as she kept peeking out of her window, looking at the long driveway and waiting to see her parents return home. She had stopped by her guidance counselor’s office today and picked up an information booklet for NYU, making an appointment for next week to talk to Mr. Malbus after she discussed her options with her parents. Their flight had landed about an hour ago, and she expected them home at any minute.

Now she had two brochures laid out on her bed, one scarlet and one purple, and was struggling with a major internal conflict she still didn’t know how to resolve. Did she want to play field hockey in college and get a free ride to Rutgers? Or did she want to focus her time on her engineering major and the experience of going to school in the city? She knew she had the grades and the extracurriculars to help her get into the best schools in the country, so she wasn’t worried about getting accepted. What she was worried about was making the right choice for her future.

The potential of angering her parents and grandfather definitely wasn't helping things.

Rey was also thinking about the possibility of going to school with Ben, if he chose NYU for their drama program instead of Julliard. There weren't many opportunities to talk this week in school, but every time she saw him he gave her a brilliant smile that made her anticipate their dinner together more and more. She still had butterflies every time she thought about their date and the idea of meeting his parents. It all felt so formal, so real. It finally solidified the idea in her mind that Ben truly liked her, and shared the same feelings she had been harboring for years. She didn’t know how strong those feelings ran, but she could only hope they were close to hers as she fell into fantasies of them riding the subways together hand in hand. 

Her heart thundered when she suddenly noticed a sleek black towncar pull down their driveway, and she picked up her brochures and brought them into the dining room, where she planned on speaking to her parents in a formal setting. She needed to be mature about this and state her case, which was the complete opposite of how their last “family conversation” went before moving to the United States. That discussion had involved much more screaming and crying, which was what she was trying to avoid.

“Rey!” her mother’s voice rang out from the front entrance of the house. “Darling, we’re home.”

“I’m in the dining room, Mom!” She laid her brochures on the dark wood table and pulled out three chairs so that everyone could sit down. She smiled as her mother, Jodie, and her father, William, entered the room. They looked slightly jet lagged, but happy to see her. Her father pulled her into a tight hug and she was calmed by the familiar scent of his cologne.

“Hey Jellybean,” his dad called her his special nickname as her mother kissed her on the crown of her head. “We need to talk, don’t we?”

“Yeah, we do,” Rey admitted softly. “I know Coach Erso called you this week.”

“You had us worried, Rey.” Her mother frowned as she took in the paperwork on the table. “We thought you were taking care of this.”

“Well, please sit down because I have a feeling you’re not going to like what I have to say.”

Her parents exchanged a worried look as they sat down at the table. Rey took a deep breath and collected her thoughts, building up courage as she went over her main points in her mind. 

“I want to stay in the United States for college. I’ve narrowed my options down to NYU and Rutgers.” She pushed the brochures forward and while her mother looked interested, her father seemed to be more wary. “Rutgers wants to give me a full scholarship if I play field hockey, but I don’t think I want to play in college. I want to have a real college experience and I think I could be really happy at NYU.”

“Are these good schools?” Her mother asked, flipping through the pages of the red Rutgers brochure.

“They’re excellent schools,” Rey confirmed brightly. “Some of the best in the nation.”

“Jellybean,” her father’s tone sounded apologetic. “You know you’re a legacy student at Oxford. We’ve been donating to the alumni foundation since before you were born.”

“But I don’t want to go to Oxford,” she was trying to control her emotions and pushed down the instinct to start crying. “You told me I could do what I wanted for school, and this is what I want.”

“Yes,” her father drawled, “but the expectation was…”

“Whose expectation?” Rey interrupted, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Grandpa’s?”

“Rey,” her father warned. “Watch your tone.”

“No, she’s right,” her mother placed a hand over her father’s. “You know she is.”

“My father has expectations for us all,” he huffed. “We have always worked hard to provide you the best opportunities in life and I think that Oxford has everything you need to be successful and carry on the Patine legacy.”

“I don’t want to be a part of the Patine legacy!” She was quickly losing a grip on her emotions and she knew she had to rein in her feelings if she wanted her parents to take her seriously. “You work so hard to provide me the best life, but you don’t understand that the life I want includes you guys being here! With me! Not traveling around the world and making me feel abandoned in my own home.”

“Abandoned?” Her father looked stricken. “Jellybean…”

“No, stop it, I’m not a child anymore!” She took a deep breath before continuing. “And I am not going to live my life based on the expectations of an old man who lives 5,000 miles away and thinks only of himself.”

“Rey,” her mother looked like she was close to tears. “We had no idea you felt this way.”

“Well I do. The only reason I was happy to move here was because I thought you would be around more often, but you’re gone more than ever. You haven't even watched me play this season and it’s almost over!” Her emotions were spiraling as tears filled her eyes. “I know I messed up a lot before we moved, but I’ve been trying so hard to make you both happy.”

Her mother stood up and embraced Rey in a tight hug. “You always make us happy, my darling. I, for one, support your idea of going to school here.” She gave a pointed look at her husband as Rey cried softly. “And we will do everything in our power to protect you from your grandfather. He will not interfere in your life the way he’s interfered in ours.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Jodie, our daughter does not need protecting from my father.”

“Yes she does,” Rey pulled away to wipe off her cheeks as her mother turned to face her dad. “It was bad enough that we got pulled into this business, but I will not allow Rey to get pulled under your father’s wing as well. She is going to live the life she wants.”

“Fine,” her father stood up from the table. “I will handle Grandpa. You start applying for these schools and thinking about what you want to do next year.”

“Thanks Daddy,” Rey hugged her father as he held her close. While she had them here, she figured that she should rip off the proverbial band aid and ask them about her dinner with Ben.   
“There’s something else I want to talk to you about.”

“What is it, Jellybean?”

“Well, I kinda have a date on Saturday. . .”

“A date?!”

Her parents seemed to be more open to her going to NYU or Rutgers than her dinner date with Ben, and they argued about it for a good half an hour before they were able to give their permission. There was just one single caveat. . .

They wanted to meet Ben at her game on Friday night.

“How did you meet this boy?” Her mother asked as she walked with them to the stands the next evening after meeting them in the parking lot. She had briefly told Ben about her parent’s request before French class that afternoon and he seemed a bit nervous to meet them so quickly. Unfortunately, they couldn’t discuss it any further before class started, and she hadn’t seen him since.

“Well, he’s been in a bunch of my classes since I moved here, but I met him officially a couple of weeks ago when I joined the stage crew. He’s the lead role in this year’s play.”

“Why did you join stage crew again?” Her father still seemed confused by her decision and she felt bad for lying to him, but she couldn’t just admit that she had joined to get closer to Ben.

“It will look good on my transcript to have a club that is related to engineering.”

“Isn’t there an engineering club?”

“William, leave her alone. Rey has always loved the theatre and I think stage crew is a wonderful way for Rey to be involved in the arts.”

“There he is!” Rey waved as she saw Ben approaching the field, and by the looks of things he was alone. She craned her neck to see if any of her other friends from the drama club were around, but Ben Solo seemed to be arriving solo for her game.

Her parents turned around and watched as Ben approached. “I think I know exactly why Jellybean joined the stage crew.” 

“William, stop it!”

For a moment it felt like her parents weren’t even there as Ben shyly approached her, his hands in the pockets of his peacoat as a blustery wind tousled his dark, shiny hair. She had seen him in class and at Thursday’s rehearsal, but they hadn’t had a moment alone since their study date on Monday and the drama it had caused with Mr. Calrissian. 

“Hey,” she said softly. “Where is everyone else?”

“They’ll be here in a little while,” Ben smiled softly at her. “They’re running out for coffee before the game.”

“Well, I would like you to meet my parents,” Rey pulled Ben over to the stands where her parents were sitting in the front row. “Ben, this is my father William and my mother Jodie.”

Ben stuck his hand out to shake her father’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Patine.”

“Likewise.” Ben shook her mother’s hand as well. “Our Rey told us you’re quite the actor.”

“Thank you, sir,” Ben was being nothing short of a gentleman and her mother gave her a quick wink of approval. She shared a secret smile with her mother and heard Coach Erso calling her from the field. 

“I gotta go,” Rey said, giving her mom and dad a quick kiss on the cheek. “Wish me luck!”

“You don’t need it,” Ben replied warmly before her father clapped him on the shoulder.

“Why don’t you sit with us, Ben, so we can get to know you a bit better.” He forced Ben to sit down next to him and Rey laughed at the look of panic on his face. 

“Oh, um, well, my friends. . .”

“Will meet with you later!” He turned back to his daughter with a conspiratorial smile. “Good luck, Jellybean!”

“Please don’t let Daddy embarrass me,” she whispered to her mom before joining the rest of the team on the field. She did stretches and warm up exercises with the team, trying not to be distracted by whatever was happening between Ben and her parents in the stands.

“Rey!” Her coach called her over to the bench with a smile. “I see that your parents are here! Did you talk to them about Rutgers?”

“Yeah, I did,” Rey nodded. “And I have a meeting with Mr. Malbus on Monday.”

“There you go, kiddo,” she gave Rey a high-five. “Now get out there and get us to the playoffs!”

They warmed up for another ten minutes before the game officially began, and Rey spared one last glance at the stands to make sure Ben and her parents were okay. She saw the rest of the drama club sitting in the row behind them, nursing their coffees in the October chill. She quickly waved her stick at them, a feeling of pure joy and love energizing her as they called out her name and cheered for her from the sidelines. 

Once the game started, her focus was solely on the match and securing a spot in the playoffs for her team. This might be the last home game she ever played, since her heart was leading her in the direction of NYU and a carefree college experience without the pressure of sports. She dedicated all of her energy to playing the best she could, scoring goal after goal as her family and friends went wild in the stands.

It was probably the best game she had ever played. 

When they finally defeated the team from Yavin high school, Rey and her teammates had secured a spot in the playoffs, officially ending the regular season. The girls were all screaming and hugging in a giant pile on the field, and she could hear her friends and parents shouting for her in the stands. The team was going out for pizza after the game, and Rey pulled away so she could say a quick goodbye to everyone who had come to support her.

“Rey!” Her parents called for her and she ran over to them, sweating and heaving and exhausted and the happiest she had ever been. She had been waiting for this moment for a long time as both of her parents pulled her in for a tight family hug.

“We are so proud of you darling,” her mom whispered in her ear. “And Ben is a wonderful young man.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“You call me when you want me to pick you up, Jellybean.” Her father kissed on her sweaty forehead and ruffled her matted hair. “Go have fun with your friends.”

“Okay!” She pulled away and turned towards her little group of cheerleaders, laughing as they circled her in a big hug. 

“Don’t stay out too late!” Poe waved a finger in her face. “We have an early rehearsal tomorrow. Full Act One run-through. 9am.”

“Yes, sir,” she gave Poe a salute before turning towards Ben. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

He gave her a warm smile and all she wanted to do was jump in his arms and kiss him, but she couldn’t in front of her parents and their friends, so she settled for a tight hug.

“You’re amazing, sweetheart,” he whispered in her ear. “And I can’t wait until tomorrow night.”

“Yes, yes,” her father sighed, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. “You’ll have plenty of time for that tomorrow during your date, now run along.”

There was a tense silence as the smiles slowly melted off of her friend’s faces, and Rey watched as her mother swat her father on the arm angrily. 

“Ow!”

“Date?” Finn asked as Rey’s heart plummeted into her guts. “What date?” 

Rey stepped away from Ben, and her happiness shifted into something close to terror as she pinned her father with a glare. “Daddy!” She wailed in embarrassment.

“Ben, are you and Rey dating?” Kaydel questioned, looking a bit pale and taking a step back.

“I called it!” Poe pumped his fist in the air. “I knew there was something going on between you two!”

“Oh, look at the time, we all need to go home. Right now!” Rose started to pull Poe and Finn towards the parking lot, and Rey saw sorrow in Kaydel’s eyes before she turned around and left Rey alone with Ben and her parents.

They heard Poe yelling “I was right!” in the distance as Ben winced.

“We’ll see you when you get home, Rey.” Thankfully, her mother lead her father away before he could say anything else embarrassing, leaving Rey alone with Ben.

“Well,” Ben bit his lip as worry tightened his brow. “I guess the cat’s out of the bag, huh?”

“I guess so,” Rey replied sadly. She could only hope that it didn’t make things awkward for them tomorrow during rehearsal, but then again, they were all members of the drama club. As of right now she didn’t know what to expect, for tomorrow’s rehearsal or her date with Ben.

“Hey,” Ben reached for her hand and squeezed softly. “They were going to find out sooner or later. Everything will be fine.”

“Okay.” She held his hand for one more beat before letting go and running back onto the field, ignoring the sting of panic that she felt as she rejoined her teammates. She didn’t really feel like celebrating anymore, but couldn’t avoid going out with them, even though the last thing she wanted to do was eat. 

As she waited for her father to pick her up from their celebratory pizza dinner, one thing was definitely clear to Rey as she reflected on how different her life was after joining one silly club. 

Joining the drama production was causing more drama in her life than she could have ever imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went with the names of the actors who played Rey's parents in TROS, simply because they were never given names in canon.


	9. First Date

The walk to the parking lot felt like it was miles long, even though it couldn’t have been more than a hundred feet. Ben shuffled as he walked, his head down and lost in thought after everything that had just happened. He thought he was doing the right thing by Rey; taking it slow, meeting her parents, hanging out over a family dinner. For some reason, things felt like they were spiraling out of his control, and he couldn’t even blame Rey’s dad for the slip.

His friends were waiting for him by the car, and he spotted Kaydel talking to Rose, her face red with lips pulled down in a frown. Ben might not be the most socially aware person on the planet, but he knew his friends well enough to understand what was going on.

Kaydel was jealous of Rey.

Because Kaydel seemed to have feelings for Ben that he had never picked up on.

If he was going to do things right, and preserve both his relationship with Rey and his relationship with his friends, he needed to address what was happening and be honest. No more hiding his feelings and hoping for the best. He needed to be a man and stand up for himself and his feelings. He needed to admit what was going on.

“Kay,” he called softly when she noticed him approach. “Can we talk?”

“Sure,” He watched as Rose rubbed her shoulders before she joined Ben. She had a reserved parking spot like all the other seniors with cars, and he walked with her under the dim light of the streetlamps that bordered the parking lot.

“I’m sorry,” he admitted to her softly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I made a mess of things this week.” She was silent, allowing Ben to gather his thoughts before speaking again. “Not only did I hurt your feelings at practice, but I hurt them by not being honest with you.”

Kaydel nodded sadly. “Last year I thought we had shared something special, but I keep forgetting how good of an actor you are, Ben. You kissing me in last year's musical had nothing to do with how you really felt about me.”

“You’re a great friend, Kaydel, and a wonderful actress,” Ben continued. “But what happens on the stage is different from how I really feel. I’ve had a crush on Rey for a long time and for some reason she seems to like me back. I have to see if it will go somewhere.”

“Don’t do that, Ben. Don’t sell yourself short.” They approached her car and she took out her keys. “Rey is lucky to have you. You’re a great person.”

“You are too,” he felt awkward hugging her, but it felt appropriate for the conversation as he pulled her in for a quick embrace. “I hope this doesn’t change our friendship.”

Her smile was tight and Ben could see that she was still hurting, but there was nothing he could do about it. “Don’t worry, Ben. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

Ben watched as she got into her car and drove off, walking back to his car and the group of friends that awaited him. It all looked like they had something to say, so he held his hand up to stop them before they got started.

“Listen,” he spoke slowly and firmly so there could be no misinterpretation of his words. “Rey and I are not officially dating yet. Our first date is planned for tomorrow night. If you embarrass me or Rey at rehearsal tomorrow I will never forgive you. So whatever you have to say better be positive or proactive or else you’re walking home.”

“Is Kaydel okay?” Rose asked first.

“Yeah, I hope so,” he shrugged. “I told her I was sorry, but I care about Rey. She thought our chemistry on stage meant that I had feelings for her.”

“Poor Kay,” Finn shook his head. “What are you going to do with Rey tomorrow?”

“She’s just coming over for dinner,” he shrugged his shoulders as he let his friends into his car to go home. “We’re going to go over the script a bit because she’s been having trouble following along at rehearsals. Calrissian wants her to be stage manager.”

“Oh, thank god,” Poe sighed from the backseat. “Last year’s idiot missed an entire piece of scenery and I almost had my foot run over as he rushed to get it on stage.”

“Listen, what happened tonight was embarrassing enough,” Ben explained. “Please don’t make things weird for us tomorrow, okay?”

“We got your back, Ben.” Finn clapped him on the shoulder. “As weirdly formal as you two are being, with the whole meeting of the parents stuff, I think you guys make a nice pair. It’s good to see you happy.”

“My parents kind of forced me to take things slow, but I’m serious about this. I care about her.”

“Then consider us on board!” Poe enthused. “Besides, I knew all along that something was going on with you two the minute your dramatic ass held her hand to walk down five fuckin’ steps.”

“Oh my God, babe,” Finn rubbed his forehead in exasperation. “Please shut up.”

True to their word, his friends were not embarrassing or awkward the next day at rehearsal. Everybody was on time for their run-through of act one, and stage crew was working on scenery and props. Every time his eyes searched for Rey she was either popping in and out of the auditorium, up in the AV Booth, or elbow-deep in the prop closet, looking for anything that would work for the show.

It was Poe’s turn to pick up lunch, and they all sat on the stage together, eating quietly, chatting and talking like last night’s awkwardness hadn’t happened. Kaydel was smiling at Poe’s goofy antics, Rose was keeping Rey distracted in a conversation about costumes, and Ben had put his script down long enough to actually eat his lunch. Everything was just as chill as his friends had promised.

He could only hope this evening was just as chill as their impending date loomed on the horizon. For the first time ever Ben was bringing a girl he liked to his house, to meet his parents and be in his space. It was exciting and nerve wracking and stressful, but Ben couldn’t wait for rehearsal to be over. He just wanted another opportunity to be alone with Rey, and maybe pick up where they had left off on Monday.

“So you guys are pretty much done with act one!” Rey gushed over her BLT wrap. “That must be exciting.”

“Yeah, but then we need to start blocking for act two,” Finn spoke through a mouthful of food. “We even have fight choreography to learn.”

“Who has to fight?”

“Mostly Ben,” Rose replied. “He’s got two scenes to learn, one with Kaydel and one with Poe.”

“Cool,” Rey smiled. “That sounds exciting.”

“Yeah, I’ve never had to do fight choreography before.” It was definitely something he was looking forward to.

“Act two is way more intense than act one, for sure,” Poe nodded. “We almost didn’t get this play cleared because there are like, two separate death scenes and Ackbar thought it was depressing.”

“Death scenes?” Rey’s eyes widened in shock. “Who dies?”

“Snoke and Kylo,” Poe explained. “Me and Ben.”

Rey turned to Ben with wide eyes, her voice laced with sadness. “You die at the end?”

“Um, yeah,” Ben swallowed the food in his mouth before elaborating. “Kylo and Kira face off against Snoke and kill him, but then Kylo sacrifices himself to make sure that Kira lives.”

“Oh my god,” Rey shuddered, her voice shaking. “That’s so sad.”

“The only reason Ackbar signed off on it was because Holdo sold the show as a redemption piece,” said Finn. “A kind of ‘love conquers all’/’good versus evil’ story.”

“I had no idea,” Rey took another bite of her wrap, chewing slowly while lost in thought. “Wow.”

Before he could inquire about Rey’s feelings, Holdo called for places and everyone started to clean up from lunch. In just a few hours, Ben was going to be bringing Rey home with him, and their date could finally begin.

“See you later,” he called to her before she wandered backstage to the prop closet again.

“Looking forward to it.” She gave him one of her brilliant smiles and left him on the stage, watching her retreat before he joined the cast to pick up where they left off before lunch.

The rest of practice went smoothly, and at three thirty, Miss Holdo told the cast that they could go home. Ben waited patiently for Rey to finish up the rest of her work. She had started organizing the prop closet sometime during the day and refused to leave until she got the entire top shelf organized. He used his height to help her put away a few pieces before they called it quits and headed for his car.

Feeling bold, Ben reached for her hand and smiled when she curled her fingers in his. They walked to his car in a pleasant silence, and he opened the door for her like a proper gentleman when they arrived at his car.

“Have you ever eaten at the bistro on Main Street before?” Ben asked as he drove them through his quiet neighborhood. “We’re gonna order out dinner tonight.”

“No, I don’t think so,” Rey shook her head. “We have a cook come in on most days to prepare meals for me and my parents. I normally just have to microwave it whenever I feel like eating.”

“Whoa, you have a cook?” Based on the size of her house, he should have guessed that they would have hired help.

“Yeah, and we have a housekeeper and two landscapers. They don’t live with us though.”

“That’s wild,” he shook his head. “My mom does most of the cooking, but sometimes I wish she didn’t. She is definitely more academic than she is domestic.”

“What does she do?”

“She’s a college professor,” he explained. “Politics and government. She’s also on the Board of Education.”

“What about your dad?”

“Retired Air Force pilot. He does a lot of mechanic stuff and odd-jobs around town to keep him busy.” They turned down his block and he noticed the two cars in the driveway. “I know your parents travel a lot but what do they do?”

“To be honest, I have no idea what their titles are or what my grandfather does. Something to do with trade and shipping,” she explained. “Like, on actual ships. Across the ocean.”

“Whoa,” Ben pulled up in front of his house and put the car in park. “Sounds super important.”

“I guess so,” she shrugged.

“So,” he pointed towards his house. “We’re here. Are you ready?”

Rey’s brilliant smile emerged as a shy blush painted her cheeks. “Absolutely.”

“Then let’s go.”

Ben held her hand again after opening the door for her, gripping onto it like a lifeline as he held his house key in his free hand. He took a deep breath before entering and thankfully his parents weren’t hovering by the door. He exhaled softly and called for them in the foyer.

“Mom? Dad?”

“We’re in the backyard, honey!” The sliding glass door in the kitchen was open, and he could hear his mother through the screen. He led Rey out onto the back patio, where his mother and father were raking leaves and getting the backyard tidy for the fall. They put down their rakes and joined Ben and Rey on the patio.

“Rey, this is my mother Leia and my father Han.”

“Oh, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you!” Leia gushed as she wrapped Rey in a tight hug. “You’re so gorgeous! Han, isn’t she gorgeous?”

“Give the girl some air, Leia,” was his father’s gruff response. He stuck a hand out for Rey to shake and his eyebrows lifted in surprise. “That’s a firm handshake you got there, girlie.”

“Thanks,” Rey said warmly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

“Ben told us he met your parents yesterday,” Han wrapped an arm around his wife and led them all back inside the house. “They know you’re here tonight, right?”

“Yes,” Rey explained. “They were very happy to meet Ben last night at my game.”

“Whaddya play?” Han cracked open a beer and took a big swig.

“Field Hockey. Offense.”

“Rey is an incredible athlete, Dad. The team won the state championship last year and her team made it to the playoffs again.”

“Impressive,” Leia said warmly. “Are you involved with any other clubs?”

“Well, I’m the secretary of student council, and I met Ben when I joined the stage crew a few weeks ago.”

“Yeah, Lando was excited when you joined,” Han got a mischievous look on his face. “Been behaving, I hope?”

“Yes, Dad,” Ben growled softly. “Just like you said.”

“Good,” Han winked at his son and Ben rolled his eyes in exasperation.

“Well, here’s the menu for the bistro,” Leia pulled a menu out of one of the drawers of the kitchen island. “Why don’t you two head into the den and figure out what you want to eat. I’ll put in the order and have Han pick it up in about an hour. Sound good?”

“Thank you Mrs. Solo,” Rey said politely as Ben took the menu.

“No, no, please call me Leia!” She laughed. “I don’t even go by Mrs. Solo when I teach. I kept my maiden name, Organa.”

“Okay, Leia,” Rey nodded and Ben started to pull her in the direction of the den, which was on the opposite side of the house. Ben gave her a mini tour of the ground floor.

“Here’s the bathroom,” he said pointing to a door on the right, “and my mom’s office is here.” Ben led them down a short staircase to a sunken den with plush couches and a big-screen TV. “This is the den where my parents and I usually hang out. Our bedrooms are upstairs.”

“Your house is very nice, Ben.”

“So is yours,” Ben rubbed the back of his neck, thinking about the mansion where she lived. “I mean, I’ve never been inside of it, but I’m sure it’s impressive.”

“It’s too big,” Rey frowned. “I have no idea why my parents bought such a big house for three people. The only cool part about it is the indoor pool.”

Ben whipped his head around to pin her with an incredulous look. “You have an indoor pool?”

“Yeah,” she grinned sheepishly. “It’s heated so we can swim year round.”

“That’s pretty awesome.”

“It’s the only perk, I promise you,” she reached in her bag and pulled out her script. “Other than that, we don’t use half the rooms. We call them guest rooms but we never have guests over.”

Ben didn’t know what to say to that, and didn’t want to dwell on Rey’s giant empty house for any longer when he could finally focus on the fact that he had her in his house for the first time. Seeing her in his space, relaxing on his couch, was making his heart feel like it was hammering in his chest.

“Before we get started on the script, let’s pick out what we want for dinner,” he passed her the menu and texted his parents their order once they made up their minds. Rey was getting the penne alla vodka dinner while he wanted the steak. He pulled out his script and sat next to her on the couch while she flipped through the pages, her eyes trying to follow the different lines and stage directions.

“I have an idea,” Ben said softly. “I think it would help both of us if we practiced my lines together.”

Rey looked up from her script, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Really?”

“Yeah, well, scripts are meant to be acted out, not read like a book. It will help me memorize my lines while you get used to the way the action is supposed to flow.” Ben stood up and moved his coffee table to the side, allowing for a much more open space for them to stand and act. “Do you want to try?”

“Well, yeah, I guess it’ll help us both,” she shrugged and stood up, facing him in the center of the den. “Where do you want to start?”

“Can we start with act two?” Ben asked. “I’m pretty set for act one but I’ve barely started memorizing my lines for some of the scenes.”

Rey flipped through the pages of her script and pitched a low whistle. “You sure do have a lot of lines, Ben. How do you memorize them all?”

Ben shrugged. “I don’t know, really. I’m just good at memorizing things. I read the lines over and over again, and sometimes I practice in front of a mirror.”

She glanced up at him with a sneaky smile. “You do?”

“Yeah, to make sure my face is making the right expressions,” he admitted shyly. “Let’s start with act two, scene one. You’ll be Poe’s part for right now.”

“Got it.”

It was much easier to run lines with Rey than Ben had expected, and she was quick to pick up on the nuances of the different roles that played against Ben’s character. In fact, after a couple of pages, Ben realized that Rey was actually acting, and that she was good at it. Very good, in fact. The more they practiced, the better she got, and he was impressed by her ability to adapt to the characters.

“You’re doing a great job, Rey,” he complimented before they started the next scene. “Are you sure you’ve never acted before?”

“Nope, not on stage,” she smiled tightly. “But I guess you can say that I am a bit of an actor. I’ve been hiding my accent for so long I barely notice I’m doing it anymore.”

Ben had noticed that during rehearsals. While he had been able to get her to speak with her normal accent sometimes, she still rarely used it when surrounded by groups of people. She wasn’t even doing it now, and they were alone in his den together.

“I think you may be a natural at this,” he commented briefly. “Ready to start the next scene? You’re going to be Kaydel’s role in this part, okay?”

“Okay,” she nodded and looked over the page. “What scene is this?”

“This is the part when Kira is finally able to see Kylo as something more than the monster she had always believed him to be. They form a connection with one another, a certain bond I guess you could say.”

“Okay, let’s go for it.” She nodded once and started the scene, pouring more emotion into the lines than Ben had expected. He would never admit it to his friends, but she was even better than Kaydel in some respects as he connected with Rey in ways he never could with his actual scene-partner.

“I thought I would find answers here,” Rey recited the lines with heavy emotion in her tone. “I was wrong.” Ben was shocked to see her eyes misting over with tears. “I’ve never felt so alone.”

“You’re not alone,” Ben repeated the lines but felt the words deep inside his heart. Rey looked up at him and when their eyes locked, he watched a tear fall down her cheek.

“Neither are you,” she whispered softly. “It’s not too late.” She lifted up her hand slowly and he followed the stage directions, meeting her halfway as their palms touched. They maintained eye contact and for a moment, he could feel the words down deep into his bones. They were true. Now that he found Rey, now that she was in his life, he didn’t feel so alone anymore. Based on the emotion in her gaze, he had a feeling that she felt the same way. Either that or she was a better actress than he had ever imagined. 

Their eyes remained locked on each other as their hands stayed connected, and Ben had never wanted to kiss her more as she started to lean towards him, her eyes fluttering shut. Dropping their scripts, Ben broke their connection to hold onto her waist as he bent his head, ducking down and finally placing his lips over hers.

It didn’t matter that it wasn’t part of the scene. It didn’t matter that he’d never truly kissed someone off stage. All that mattered was the soft sound that Rey made as he kissed her, and the way her mouth opened in a tiny gasp as he pulled back for air before kissing her again. His grip on her waist tightened as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down and pressing their bodies flush against one another. He could barely pull away from her for air, her lips were addictive as they kissed for what felt like hours. It couldn’t have been more than a couple of minutes, but time didn’t seem to exist around them anymore. This was better than he had ever imagined as she finally pulled back from him, resting her forehead against his. Her hands came back around to cradle his face, and he leaned into her touch as they breathed heavily.

“That wasn’t in the script,” she joked lightly, out of breath as she steadied her breathing.

He laughed huskily, “No, that was definitely ad-libbed.”

“Do you always kiss your acting partners like this?”

“No way. This is only for you.” He pulled back to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. “And I want to do it again.”

Ben leaned in for another kiss, his face still cradled between her hands, but he heard the front door close in the distance. “Ben! Rey! The food is here!”

“Okay!” He called to his dad before turning back to the girl in his arms who was smiling brighter than the sun. Before they kissed again, before they went any further on this date, he needed to make sure she wanted the same thing he did.

“Be my girlfriend, Rey.” It sounded more like a demand than a question, but Ben needed to sound confident because he was terrified that she would say no.

“Ben,” she breathed, leaning in to kiss him softly. “Yes, I absolutely will.”

“Next time I’ll take you out on a proper date,” he pulled away from her and held her hand as they walked towards the dining room to eat with his parents.

“I don’t know, Ben,” she smiled up at him, nothing but joy shimmering in her eyes as she sat down to eat with his family. “In my opinion, this is pretty much the best date ever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has been commenting and leaving kudos on this little fluffy fic of mine. I appreciate it so much!


	10. Cool Kids

Rey was practically beaming as she entered the building on Monday morning, hand in hand with Ben who was now officially her boyfriend. He had picked her up for school that morning, bright and early like he had promised before ending their date on Saturday night. They had picked up some coffee before heading to school, wondering what the day would bring now that they were officially a couple. They didn’t have to wait long to find out, since the stares and whispers had been unavoidable as soon as they entered the halls. Rey refused to allow it to bother her at all as they approached her locker on the first floor by the assistant principal’s office.

Ben leaned against the wall and watched her as she got ready for the day, loading her bag with everything she needed for the morning as she felt his eyes on her. There was a dreamy kind of grin on his face that she found to be the most endearing, cutest expression she had ever seen.

“Happy this morning, aren’t we?” She smirked at him while he huffed out a short laugh.

“I think happy would be an understatement,” he explained, his voice low and rumbling in the early hour. “Don’t you think?”

She nodded vigorously. “I agree wholeheartedly.”

Rey beamed as she reminisced on the rest of Saturday’s dinner date. After eating dinner with his parents they had returned to the den, where they watched old episodes of The Office while enthusiastically making out on Ben’s couch. He had gripped onto her body like he was afraid she would disappear as they kissed for what felt like hours. She had never kissed anyone with that level of emotion before, and he had expressed the same sentiment to her before her parents picked her up at the end of the evening.

It was intense and emotional and kind of intimidating, but Rey couldn’t be happier. 

“Did you tell anyone yet?” He asked as he pushed some of her hair behind her ear, watching her fiddle around with her binder. “About us?”

“I texted Jannah and Zorii over the weekend,” she shook her head with a smile, remembering their enthusiastic replies and playful use of emojis. “They’re very happy for me.”

“Awesome,” he seemed genuinely pleased. “They seem like good friends.”

“They’re the best,” she confirmed. “What about you?” She turned to him, shutting her locker before following him to his locker on the other side of the cafeteria. “Does the drama club know that we’re quote-unquote ‘official?’”

“No, not yet,” he shrugged as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Rey was thrilled that she could now touch Ben whenever she wanted and he seemed to be just as happy about it. “They already knew about our date so I can only guess that they’ve been obsessing over it all weekend.”

“Well, don’t leave them hanging, spread the good news!” She nodded her head at the groups of people who were whispering to one another as they passed. “Based on the stares we’ve been getting since we walked in the building, they might know about it before you get the chance to tell them.”

“Fine,” he shrugged. “Makes it easier for me.”

“What do you think they’re saying?” She wondered aloud as they stood outside of her first period class. He pretended to think deeply and stroked his chin while leaning against the wall.

“Hmmm, probably something along the lines of ‘What is that theatre dork doing with the hottest girl in school?’”

Her brow furrowed in mock concentration. “No, I don’t think that’s it. More like ‘Wow that incredibly talented actor is settling for that field hockey girl, what is he thinking?”

“Don’t do that,” he placed his finger on her lips to quiet her and she gave it a little kiss. “Don’t talk down on yourself like that. You’re amazing and I’m not settling for anything.”

“Well, then, you can’t do it either,” she admonished playfully, poking his black t-shirt square in the chest. “You’re not a dork and I am definitely not the hottest girl in school.”

“Yes, you are,” he reached for the loops of her jeans and pulled her in close, kissing her firmly as more people whispered around them. “Which makes me the luckiest theatre dork to ever walk the planet.”

“Stop calling yourself that!” She hit him playfully on the shoulder before kissing him once again. “That’s my boyfriend you’re insulting and I won’t allow it.”

“Yes ma’am,” he went to kiss her once more before they were suddenly interrupted. 

“Alright, break it up lovebirds,” Rey turned around and saw Jannah approaching the couple with a mischievous smile on her face. “You’re already the center of gossip and you haven’t been dating for five minutes.” She gave Ben a friendly smile. “Hey there, Solo.”

Ben seemed a bit awkward around Jannah, even though they had practically known each other since the cradle. “Hey Jannah, how are you?”

“Oh, I’m great now that my bestie has finally snatched the man of her dreams.” Her tone shifted from playful to serious in a heartbeat. “But I’ve got my eye on you, Solo. If you hurt her you’ll have the entire varsity field hockey team to deal with and we will snap you in half like a twig.”

Ben nodded sharply, his lips in a tight line. “Noted, Jannah, thanks.”

“Stop threatening my man, Calrissian,” she pulled Ben close in a tight hug. “Besides, if he really did hurt me, there would be nothing left to snap after I was done with him.”

Jannah nodded with pride as the bell rang overhead. “That’s my girl.”

“You’re really hot when you’re scary,” Ben commented under his breath and placed a kiss on the top of her head. “I gotta go, but I’ll see you in economics?”

“Totally,” she nodded. “What are the odds that Thanisson will let us move our seats closer to one another?”

He shook his head sadly before turning away. “Slim to none. See you later.” He waved at her once more before heading up the stairs to his first period class, leaving Rey and Jannah alone. They walked into the classroom and sat at their normal seats, ignoring all the stares and whispers that seemed to be following her around wherever she went.

“So, did you tell Ben?” Jannah whispered to her during the announcements.

“Tell Ben what?” Rey was confused. She had already confided in him so much, there wasn’t much else to disclose. 

“Don’t be stupid, Rey. The truth! The reason why you joined stage crew in the first place was to get closer to him and you succeeded. Don’t you think he has a right to know how you’ve truly felt about him all these years?”

“Oh,” Rey shook her head, deep in thought. “No, I haven’t told him. But I will. I just need to find the right time so it’s not awkward.” A flare of panic seized her. “You don’t think he’ll be mad, do you?”

“Babe, he pretty much thinks the sun rises and sets around you. Telling him you’ve had a crush on him for two years is probably going to make his brain explode.”

Her panic was not ebbing. In fact, it pulsed a little stronger. “Like, in a good way or a bad way?” 

“If he has any sense then it would be in a good way. Why are you so worried?” Jannah looked confused and Rey didn’t know how to explain.

“I don’t know, I’m afraid he’ll think I’m some kind of a stalker or something!” She knew it was irrational, but Rey didn’t know how Ben would respond to the truth behind her actions. It left her feeling anxious and afraid. 

“I think you need to trust your boyfriend and let him know why you really joined stage crew. If he truly likes you, and cares about you, it should only make your relationship stronger.” Jannah pulled out her binder and leveled her with a no-nonsense look. “You know I’m right.”

“I guess so,” Rey frowned as the teacher started the class, ending their conversation. As much as she liked Ben, and she liked him a lot, she still didn’t know him well enough to anticipate his reaction. What if he thought she was an obsessed stalker? What if he broke up with her over the news that she had been collecting his playbills and newspaper clippings like some kind of deranged fan?

It was a little bit too much to process after dating him for only three days, but Jannah was right. Ben deserved to know the reasons behind her actions, and the depth of her feelings for him. It was only fair to him, no matter how scary it felt to be vulnerable and honest. She just had to find the right time, that’s all.

Unfortunately, time wasn’t really on their side this week. Rey had practice every day after school and the first round of playoffs was this Saturday, which meant her responsibilities to the stage crew needed to be put on hold for the next few weeks. Mr. Calrissian already knew about her schedule because of Jannah, but she hadn’t yet told Ben about missing rehearsals.

“Hey,” she met Ben in front of their economics classroom before the bell rang, kissing him quickly on the cheek. “I need to talk to you about something.”

“What’s up?”

“I have practice for the playoffs all week long, so I won’t be at the next few rehearsals.” Ben frowned but nodded his head with a tight smile. 

“I understand, Rey. When is your first game?”

“It’s this Saturday, up in Albany. We leave early on Saturday morning. Mr. Calrissian already knows because of Jannah, but I wanted to personally inform the president of the drama club that his stage manager would not be present.”

“Ahh,” a sneaky grin pulled up his right cheek as his eyes narrowed at her. “I see. Well, thank you for informing the president. Am I allowed any executive privileges? Like ordering you to stay?”

“Not unless you wanted the wrath of Coach Erso to fall on you. I think she ranks a little higher on the scale than drama club president.”

“I would have to agree,” he reached for her hand and wrapped it in his, squeezing gently. “Well, you will be missed. Mostly by me.”

“I’ll miss you too, Ben.” How was she lucky enough to have the sweetest, most gentle boyfriend in the whole school? “But I’ll be able to make it on Thursday for a little while before practice begins.”

They walked into the classroom together, but unfortunately could not get their seats switched by the thorny Mr. Thanisson. He dismissed their question without even looking at them and they sulked to their seats, Ben winking at her right before class started. Maybe their French teacher would be more amenable to their budding relationship and throw them a bone. They were two of the best students in class and could only benefit from working closer together. Rey wondered if Madame Kanata would buy that line and figured that the answer was no.

Economics droned for what seemed like an eternity before the bell rang. By the time lunch came around, she was still hearing whispers everywhere she went and it was finally starting to get to her. When she entered the cafeteria she spotted her normal table, but they were giving her weird looks that made her uncomfortable and she didn’t want to have anything to do with gossip at the moment. She’d had enough of it in the first half of her day and there were still hours to go. 

“Rey!” She heard her name being called behind her and saw Rose and Finn walking towards her with lunch trays. 

“Hey,” she said warmly, holding up her lunch bag. “Do you mind if I sit with you guys today?”

“Of course not!” Rose looked thrilled to have a new face at their lunch table, and Rey felt relieved that she didn’t have to be in the center of all this gossip. “Ben should be here any minute.” 

Rey sat down just as Ben arrived, placing his books down on the ground and moving his seat as close to her as the space would allow. Poe followed him and noisily slammed his binder on the table, drawing the attention of many people around them.

“I heard the news!” He said brightly, his eyes taking on a manic look to them. “I think some congratulations are in order!”

Ben leaned over and pinched his nose as he sighed deeply. “Here we go.”

“I always knew Ben had it in him,” Poe said fondly, reaching over to place a hand over Rey’s. “Welcome to the family, Rey.”

“We are not related,” Ben said stiffly, pushing Poe’s hand away from Rey as she giggled softly.

“Bro, I have seen you naked, it’s close enough.”

“You walked in on me changing once, Poe!” Ben yelled. “And my pants were on!”

“And I will never forget the sight of your massive pectorals and finely sculpted abs,” Poe replied dreamily. “Has Rey seen them yet?”

Ben ignored the question and turned to Rey with a serious look on his face. “Have we been dating long enough that you’ll help me hide a body? When does that milestone happen?”

Rey couldn’t help herself and burst into laughter while Finn and Rose joined in. Kaydel approached the table shyly, sitting down next to Poe. “What’s so funny?”

“Ben might just murder Poe before the end of the day,” Finn said between laughs. “Drama club might need to contact the Forensics club for tips.” Kaydel laughed, but Rey could sense a sadness around her that she didn’t know how to address. She didn’t know Kaydel well enough to know what to say to her, and it felt like any conversation between them would be shallow and awkward. 

All of a sudden, Rey heard her name being called behind her as Zorii and Jannah approached the group. They pulled two chairs from a nearby table over and forced some room between Rey and Rose, making their comfortable table feel a bit crowded.

“Hey guys,” Zorii said with a smile. “Do you mind if we sit here today?”

Poe looked a bit awestruck at the new round of popular girls to join their lunch group. “Um, no, but, why?”

“Well, Rey is our best friend,” Zorii explained, “and we want to get to know her new friends from the drama club a little better.” She wrapped an arm around Rey’s shoulders and squeezed. “Just to make sure she’s being taken care of.”

She turned to Ben with the same stony expression that he shared. “We might need to dispose of more than one body, Ben.”

He nodded firmly. “I’m down if you are.”

“Now, now,” Jannah held up her hands in innocence. “We don’t mean any harm. We just don’t know you all very well and want to make sure our Rey is hanging around with good people.”

“They’re the best, Jan,” Rey said warmly, taking in her entire circle of friends from both field hockey and drama club. “You all are.”

“Aww, you guys,” Poe rested his chin on his fist and grinned widely. “We really are like one big happy family now!”

Ben leaned over to whisper in Rey’s ear. “We’re gonna need a murder weapon that’s easy to dispose of. . .”

She playfully poked him in the side and finally started eating, noticing the numerous pairs of eyes that were still staring at her and her friends from various tables around the cafeteria. At first it had seemed funny, but as the day continued, it felt like it was getting out of control. Part of her was ready to stand up and confront the entire cafeteria, but she held back when some other kids they usually sat with got up and approached the table shortly before the end of the period.

“Hey,” Armie Hux and Snap Wexley, two of the boys they usually ate lunch with, walked up to the table and awkwardly said hi as the members of the drama club looked at one another with confused expressions on their faces.

“Hey,” Jannah replied with a friendly wave. “What’s up guys?”

“I guess this is where the cool kids are sitting now,” Snap looked around the table and gave a small smile to Kaydel, whose shocked eyes grew to comedic proportions. 

“Cool kids?” Poe repeated with a scoff, the sarcasm heavy in his tone. “Yeah, we are definitely the pinnacle of popularity.”

“But you kind of are,” since Armie was a redhead, it didn’t take a lot for him to blush profusely. “I mean, the whole school is freaking out about it.”

“What are you talking about?” Rey was tired of all the stares and whispers and just wanted the day to be over with. 

“I mean, you’re dating Solo, right?” Snap waited for confirmation before continuing. “You guys are the two most popular seniors in the school and now you’re dating. You’re like, Coruscant high school royalty now.”

“People think I’m popular?” Ben asked aloud, looking confused and slightly disturbed. 

“Well,” Rey looked up at him with a knowing gaze. “You did get that whole article in the paper last year. You’re not exactly unknown around town.”

There was nothing but shock and awe in his eyes as he stared down at her. “You read the article about me?”

“Yeah,” she looked away bashfully, wishing they were alone so she could finally confess and let him know exactly how she had felt about him all these years. “I did.”

Ben blinked a few times before shaking his head and continuing his previous thought. “So I’ve been popular this entire time and I didn’t know about it?” Ben still looked confused as Rey giggled and rubbed his shoulder.

“So,” Armie continued, “would it be cool if we ate lunch with you guys tomorrow?” Snap nodded in agreement as Jannah and Zorii whispered to one another conspiratorially. “The table is lonely without you girls.”

Poe clapped his hands together, rubbing them greedily. “Well, as drama club president, I think it’s up to Ben to decide who joins the inner sanctum of the new Cool Kids Table.” Poe looked like he was having way too much fun with this entire situation while the majority of the drama kids just looked stunned. Rey laughed as Ben shook his head, looking around the table with a frown. With the addition of Rey, Jannah, and Zorii, there wasn’t a lot of space left at the table but before he could say anything, Rey placed a reassuring hand on his knee and squeezed softly, drawing Ben’s attention.

“They’re not as bad as you think they are,” she whispered as the rest of the table waited for Ben’s response. “I promise, they’re annoying but harmless.”

“You better be right about this,” he growled at her playfully. “I can barely stand having gym class with them, let alone my free period.”

“It’ll be fine,” she promised. “Have mercy on these poor popular fools.”

“Alright,” Ben wrapped his arm around Rey’s shoulder and held her close. “You can sit with us tomorrow if you want.”

“Cool,” Snap said, his eyes still on Kaydel. “Awesome.”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.” Rey watched as the two boys walked away, and when they were out of earshot, Rey was amused as the drama club had a meltdown over their newfound popularity.

“Since when was I popular?” Ben asked out loud as Poe shook his head.

“Since never. You’ve never been popular.”

“Well I guess I am now,” Ben grumbled, not pleased with this revelation.

“We all are!” Rose gushed. “I can’t believe this is happening! Armie Hux and Snap Wexley want to sit with us!”

“They seem nice,” Kaydel smiled softly, turning towards Rey. “You know them better, so what do you think, Rey?” 

Rey sent her friends a reassuring smile. “They’re nice, for sure. Just don’t let your newfound popularity go to your heads. It’s not as glamorous as you think.”

“I don’t know,” Poe smirked. “I’m feeling pretty chic at the moment.”

Finn rolled his eyes. “Don’t let it go to your head, babe. It’s big enough.”

Poe pouted. “You’re no fun.”

“You guys are hilarious,” Zorii shook her head at their antics. “It's no wonder why Rey likes you guys.”

“Maybe we should join stage crew too,” Jannah offered. “My dad has been bugging me to join since freshman year, and with field hockey almost over, we’ll have a lot of free time on our hands.”

“Really?” Rey was shocked at this new development, especially since Jannah had always pushed back against the idea of joining her dad’s club. “You would do that?”

“Of course,” Zorii shrugged. "We would get to spend more time with you. And besides," she continued, nodding towards Poe. “This one makes me laugh.”

Poe sighed dreamily, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “Oh, if only I liked boobs, darling.” 

“Don’t worry, I like them enough for the both of us.” Jannah laughed heartily at Zorii’s retort while Rey was amused at her candor. Zorii only told certain people about her preferences, and Rey was happy that she considered her new friends worthy of this information.

“This has been the best lunch ever,” Poe proclaimed as the bell rang overhead. He gave a salute to the rest of the table before gathering his things. “Farewell, popular friends.”

Since most of them had gym together the next period, they said goodbye to Poe, Kaydel and Rose as the rest of them walked towards the gym together. Rey reached over for Ben’s hand while her boyfriend still looked more than a little bit shell shocked after their illuminating lunchtime exchange. 

“You okay?” She nudged him on the side and he looked down at her, his gaze an adorable mix of innocence and confusion.

“That was the weirdest lunch period of my life,” he explained, raising an eyebrow at her. “So I guess that’s what people have been whispering about us all day.”

“Let them whisper,” she shook her head, completely unfazed by the stares now that she knew why they were the center of attention. “It doesn’t matter what they think. All that matters is that we’re together.”

“Yeah, you're right.” Ben pulled her in for a short but welcome kiss as they turned the corner towards the gym. “But you do realize that Poe will never, ever, ever shut up about this, right?”

“Oh absolutely,” she laughed as she headed for the girl’s locker room. “I’m looking forward to it!”


	11. Anything is Possible

If Ben Solo could categorize this day using one word it would have to be bizarre.

That was the only way he could describe it. From the moment he had stepped into the building he could tell that something was off about the way people were looking at him and Rey. Add that to the whispers in the hallways and it was impossible to ignore that something was very different in the halls of Coruscant high school. 

And after the most shocking lunch in his entire high school experience, things only got more and more weird.

Rey had been excused from gym class because she had a meeting with her guidance counselor, which left Ben and Finn feeling very vulnerable in their new popularity. People were asking, no begging, for them to be on their badminton team for the day, despite the fact that no one had ever cared enough to ask him to participate before. Finn looked overwhelmed at the group of people standing before them, waiting with bated breath for Ben to make the final decision. He thought about the various exchanges at lunch and all the new faces that were joining their table for the foreseeable future before he made his final decision.

“Hux, Wexley, you down to play?” He put his trust in Rey when she said they were good guys, even though he hadn’t had a decent conversation with Hux since third grade.

“Yeah, awesome,” Hux looked like he won the lottery as the other kids dispersed, and they headed to an open net to get a game started. Ben noticed that they weren’t as competitive as they had been last week, before he had officially started dating Rey, and bristled at the change. It didn’t matter if people assumed he was popular or whatever, he wanted to prove that he was still the same person he had been before dating Rey Patine.

“You going easy on us, Hux?” Ben taunted as he landed an easy point.

“Yeah,” Finn joined in as Ben’s hype man. “Is that all you got?”

Wexley and Hux shared an eager expression before Snap twisted his racket in his hands in anticipation. “Oh, we haven’t even started yet!”

That’s when things started to get interesting. Normally Ben wasn’t enthusiastic about sports, but there was a fire in him today that burned brighter with every point scored in the game. He was actually sweating as he and Finn put way more effort into their athletics than they normally would have a few weeks ago. A crowd was starting to form around their game, and Ben was shocked to hear that the cheers were mostly aimed at him and Finn.

To Ben’s shock and surprise, he and Finn had won the game against Armie and Snap, giving each other high fives as the rest of the gym class cheered. Ben was sweating pretty heavily and had to change into a spare shirt that he kept in his gym locker for emergency situations. He didn’t want to show up to French class a sweaty mess, and quickly splashed water on his face, wiping his face and neck down with a wet paper towel before heading upstairs.

Rey was waiting for him at the entrance to the locker rooms, beaming at him despite his red face and damp hair. It didn’t have it’s normal volume and laid flat on his head, making his big ears stick out. Rey didn’t seem to care as she reached up on her tiptoes for a brief kiss, tucking the wet hair behind his ears.

“Wow, someone took gym very seriously today,” Rey reached for his hand and they walked together towards French class.

“Finn and I played against Armie and Snap. It got a little bit competitive.”

“I can see that,” she giggled softly. “Sweaty Ben is a good look for you.”

“No way,” he shook his head firmly. “My hair looks gross and my ears are sticking out.”

She reached up and dragged her finger down the shell of his ear, making him shiver. “I happen to like your ears.”

How was she able to say things that made him blush like a little girl? The power she had over him was insane. “You’re the only person to ever say that besides my mom.”

“Well, your mom and your girlfriend should be trusted implicitly,” Rey scolded him gently. “We know best.”

“Yes, I’m picking up on that rather quickly.” They maneuvered their way through the halls and while people were still whispering around them, Ben refused to allow it to bother him. These people knew nothing about him, Rey, or their relationship, so the best thing to do was ignore them completely.

Ben asked Rey about her appointment with Mr. Malbus in guidance, and Rey was happy to finally be on track with her college applications. They approached their French class hand in hand, only to find Madame Kanata standing at the door, giving students a handout for a warm up activity as they entered the room. The petite woman glanced up at Ben and Rey with a knowing look in her eyes, sizing them up slowly.

“Well, well, well. It’s finally happened.” She pushed up the bridge of her glasses on her nose and Ben felt like he was being scrutinized under a microscope.

“What do you mean, Madame?” Rey asked innocently as Madame Kanata tsked under her breath.

“I have spent the past two years watching you two make goo-goo eyes at each other’s backs,” Madame explained while Ben froze in shock. He couldn’t believe he had been so oblivious and noticeable before! “I never thought you two would ever be brave enough to talk to one another.”

As horrified as Ben was to get caught, he couldn’t help but analyze Madame Kanata’s words. Did she mean that Rey had been pining for Ben in the same way all this time? Could Rey’s feelings be deeper than Ben had ever expected? He looked down at his girlfriend and noticed the same level of embarrassment at getting caught in her flushed cheeks and wide-eyed gaze. 

Madame passed them the handouts as they both stood in front of the doorway, dumbstruck and embarrassed. “Here, take the warm up and get started. I’m moving seats because it’s almost the start of the second quarter. I think you’ll be happy with the new seating arrangements.” She shook her head in amusement at their shocked demeanor as they walked past her into the classroom. Most of the kids had started the warm-up, and when Ben looked up at the new seating arrangements, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

Madame had moved Ben’s seat right next to Rey’s.

C’était un miracle. 

They sat down next to each other, and Ben noticed that Rey still looked distracted by their conversation with Madame Kanata. He reached for her hand and squeezed it softly, snapping her out of her distracted thoughts.

“Hey,” he said softly. “Are you okay?”

“I,” Rey hesitated, breathing in deeply as she held onto his hand tightly. “I wanted to know if you would come over tonight. After rehearsal and practice.” She looked close to tears and Ben started to get worried. “I need to talk to you about something and we can’t do it here in school.”

“Of course,” he responded slowly, already feeling some anxiety at her request. What did she need to talk to him about that needed so much privacy? Did he mess things up somehow? Was their relationship already over before it could even start? Was this whole popularity/gossip thing getting to her already? “I'll text you when I’m done with rehearsal.”

“Okay,” Rey nodded and sent him a tight smile. “Let’s get started on the work.”

She wasted no more time and read through their warm-up activity, getting lost in schoolwork while Ben struggled to focus. He wished they had some time to be alone now so they could talk and figure out what was going on. Was Rey reconsidering their relationship? Was this all too much too soon? It had taken him two years to talk to Rey and build a connection with her, would all that be destroyed in three days?

No, he had to trust his feelings, and his heart was telling him that everything with Rey felt right. Felt whole. Felt real. If Madame Kanata was to be believed, then Rey had been harboring the same feelings for Ben this entire time. Could it be true? Had they wasted all this time pining over one another when they could have been together?

Ben couldn’t be sure, and he wouldn’t know the answers to his questions until he had a chance to talk to Rey alone. While it was nice to sit next to Rey in class and work with her, he couldn’t really focus on class and spent most of the time obsessing over his impending conversation with his girlfriend. It was bound to be the longest afternoon of his life as he walked her to her final class of the day, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek and a promise to see her later. He tried to walk away from her but she pulled him back, her kiss strong and desperate as she held his cheeks in her palms and allowed her lips to linger on his for a few beats more. He didn't know how to interpret her kiss as she quickly pulled away and ducked into the classroom without another word.

Now Ben was really starting to panic as he finished off his day and arrived at rehearsal. His friends were all gushing over their newly minted status as the official cool kids of Coruscant high while Ben tried to ignore them in favor of studying his script.

“Snap Wexley sat next to me in Art,” Kaydel gushed to Rose as they all sat on the edge of the stage. “He told me he liked my landscape, but I was painting a still life of some fruit.” Kaydel laughed brightly. “I don’t think he pays a lot of attention in class.”

“Yeah, well, people were actually fighting over who was going to play badminton with us today.” Finn recounted their competitive gym period. “Ben and I kicked some major badminton butt.”

“This whole popularity thing is a good look for us,” Poe was actually gazing at his reflection in Rose’s pocket mirror. “My skin looks clearer, my eyes look brighter, and I swear my hair is more curly today.”

“It’s all an illusion,” Ben grumbled under his breath. “You’re just as shaggy and greasy as ever.”

“And what has your popular panties in a twist?” Poe snapped the mirror shut and passed it back to Rose. “You should be on cloud nine right now.”

Ben sneered, his bad mood creeping into his tone. “I don’t like everyone knowing my business. Even the damn teachers know I’m dating Rey. It’s creepy.”

“I think it’s sweet,” Kaydel said, shocking Ben and the other members of the club. “Everyone can tell how much you guys like each other.”

“How?” Ben repeated, suddenly feeling like his skin was stretched too tight as he started to sweat. Sure, Ben knew how he felt for Rey, but there was no way she felt as strongly for him after so short a time. “Kay, we’ve been dating for three days!”

Kaydel shook her head softly, a wistful expression etched on her face. “It doesn’t matter. I see the way she looks at you, the way you look at her. I think your relationship is very special.”

“Oh, um, thanks.” Kaydel was the second person in two hours to affirm that Rey’s feelings might be deeper than he’d originally thought. Maybe he really was just clueless and obvious. Maybe he should have been braver, and spoken to her sooner. Maybe they could have had more time.

Ben needed this rehearsal to be over with already so he could just talk to his girlfriend and figure this all out! All of this talk about feelings was just making him more anxious about their conversation, and he threw himself into rehearsal as a way to keep his mind distracted. 

Once he was done for the day, he immediately checked his phone. Rey had sent him a text sometime during practice to let him know that she was home, and he plugged her address into his GPS to help him navigate through the streets of Old Coruscant to the mansion that she called a house. His fingers tapped nervously at the steering wheel as his mind raced with all the possibilities of this impending conversation. As he turned down the long, narrow driveway his anxiety spiked and he almost bailed completely before he reminded himself to trust his girlfriend. He wanted to believe that what they shared was stronger than gossip or popularity. He parked his car in front of the long garage with a sigh.

He checked his reflection in the mirror once, his hair still a little shaggier than normal due to his enthusiastic badminton game. Ben approached the door slowly and ran the doorbell as massive chimes could be heard inside the foyer.

“Ben,” Rey’s mother answered the door with a wide smile. “It’s so nice to see you again.”

“Good evening Mrs. Patine,” Ben rubbed the back of his neck, awkwardly shuffling his weight from foot to foot. “Rey asked me to come over for a little while.”

“Of course, Ben, she’s waiting for you in her room, I’ll show you the way.” Mrs. Patine moved to the side as Ben entered the massive foyer, a large crystal chandelier hanging above his head. The foyer branched off into two long wings, and before him was a dining room with a mahogany table that could sit at least twelve people. Mrs. Patine pointed him to the right. 

“It’s the last door on the right, after the exercise room. You’ll see her name on the door.” Ben smiled and nodded at her in thanks. “Will you be staying for dinner?”

“Um, I’ll have to call my mom, if that’s okay?”

She smiled warmly. “Well, we would love to have you. Let me know what she says.”

“Thank you Mrs. Patine.” He left the woman in the foyer as his heart started hammering in his chest. Now that he was actually inside her enormous house, he could barely appreciate anything about it over the spiking panic he felt. He noticed the high ceilings and crown molding above him, and the shiny hardwood floors under his feet. He noticed all of the open doors in the hallway, leading to guest rooms and extra bathrooms and exercise rooms. When he finally approached Rey’s bedroom he knocked softly, swallowing a lump in his throat and taking a deep breath.

“It’s Ben, Rey.”

She opened the door quickly, her hair wet as he took in her relaxed demeanor and attire. She was wearing a beige sleep shirt with some soft black capri pants that went a little past her knees. He was envious of her cleanliness as he felt the day’s sweat and grime all over him. 

“Hey,” she greeted softly, resting her hand on his chest and pecking him on his cheek. “How was rehearsal?”

“It was fine,” he said tightly, wondering if she was going to break up with him right away or drag it out. He needed to rip off the band aid sooner rather than later so he had ample time to go home and mope all night long. “You said you wanted to talk to me?”

“Oh, yeah,” she twisted her fingers together in that nervous tick of hers and he was bracing himself for the worst. “Come, sit down. I have something that I should have told you from the very beginning.” She led him to her bed and he sat down on the comfortable mattress, her pretty green comforter decorated in a floral pattern. Her walls had some adornment in the form of posters and artwork, all framed and hung expertly around the room. 

He expected her to sit down next to him and break his heart quickly, but he was confused when she reached under her bed and pulled out a shoe box that was sealed shut with a rubber band. The words “Do Not Open” were written on the front with a black marker and Ben started to get confused.

“Rey, what’s going on?” He asked slowly, and she avoided eye contact with him while his panic continued to flare. The overwhelming day finally got to him and he snapped, placing a hand on her knee as she held onto the odd box in silence. His voice was shaking as he confessed his fears out loud. “I know today was overwhelming, but I don’t care about being popular or cool or any of that. I just want to be with you. I need you to give me another chance before you break up with me, please. Please give us a chance.”

God, what a pathetic, lovestruck fool he was! No wonder why she was ending things already. He had to blink away the beginnings of tears as she gasped and held onto his hand.

“Break up with you?” Ben, no!” He watched as she shook her head vigorously. “No, Ben, I need to tell you the truth! I’m afraid you’ll break up with me!” She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as he waited for her to continue. What could she possibly say that would ever make him want to break up with her? “There’s a reason why I joined Stage Crew, Ben, and it had nothing to do with finding another extracurricular.” She removed the rubber band from the box and opened the lid, revealing the contents to him. It took a moment for him to focus on what he was seeing, but it looked like a stack of paper to him before he could read the writing on the front.

“Coruscant Junior Setting the Stage for Greatness”

It was the article that the town had printed in the paper last year.

What was it doing in her secret box?

“I joined because of you,” she explained softly as he removed the article. Underneath it was playbills from his previous shows, and a couple of articles from the school newspaper as well. “I’ve had feelings for you for a long time, and I was too afraid to act on them before now.” Ben was so stunned he didn’t know what to say, and she must have misinterpreted his silence because she began to ramble. “But I promise you I’m not a stalker or anything like that, I just really admire your talent and I always thought you were so serious and untouchable so I didn’t know how I could get to know you better. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before . . .”

Ben couldn’t let her say another word. He knocked the box away from her hands and pulled her onto his lap, holding her by the waist as he kissed her with all the passion and emotion that had been simmering under his skin for the past two years. He tightened his grip on her as she moaned softly, soaking up the sounds and opening his mouth so he could caress her tongue with his. She deepened the kiss even more, and it felt like he couldn’t breathe as he continued his amorous advances. When they finally broke apart for air, both of them were breathing heavily and they needed a few moments to compose themselves.

“So,” she exhaled deeply. “You’re not mad at me?”

“Mad at you?” He shook his head in awe. “Rey, I can barely believe this is happening. I thought everything that happened today was too much for you and you wanted to break up with me.”

Rey shook her head, gripping onto him even tighter. “No! Not at all! When Madame Kanata said that she’d noticed the both of us being oblivious for two whole years, I knew I had to tell you the truth. I was so afraid you were going to think I was a stalker or something.”

“Rey,” his voice was serious as he leveled her with his intense gaze. “I have had feelings for you since the moment you moved here. I never thought you knew I existed, let alone entertain the idea that you might have feelings for me. As far as I’m concerned, this is a dream come true.” He rested his forehead on hers as they breathed in tandem, the energy between them feeling warm and content. “We wasted so much time on being afraid and shy. I don’t want to waste another moment.”

“Me neither,” she agreed, kissing him softly once again. “I couldn’t go another day without telling you how I feel.”

Ben huffed out a small laugh. “Well it’s way better than what I was expecting, that’s for sure.” He cupped her cheek with his palm. “Never doubt the way I feel about you, Sweetheart. I’m sorry it took so long for us to realize that we were meant to be together.”

Her eyes were wide and full of hope. “You really think so?”

“Don’t you feel it?” He kissed her deeply, and this time it was him who let slip a small moan. “Can’t you see how right this is? You’re everything to me, Rey. I want to share everything with you.”

“Me too,” she agreed breathily, pulling away from him. “Please don’t doubt the way I feel about you ever again.”

“Never,” he promised. “I’m sorry I ever let the idea cross my mind.”

“No, no, I see where you were coming from,” she pushed back his hair and tweaked his ear. “Today was a weird day.”

“Well we definitely redeemed it,” his hands gripped her waist and he pulled her in for a tight hug, the feelings they shared settling into his bones as everything just felt right. “Now I’ve got to call my parents. Your mom invited me to stay for dinner.”

“She did?” Rey looked surprised. “She must really like you, we’ve never had guests for dinner before.”

“It’s a shame,” he shook his head. “Your house is so cool.” He quickly called his mom and she was thrilled to know that he was spending more time with Rey’s family. “Okay, I’m good to stay.”

“I’m trying to get my parents to agree to a house party after the playoffs,” she held his hand and led him to her giant dining room. “Put that pool to good use.”

“Count me in,” he agreed brightly as they entered the bright space. “I have a feeling that any party here would be legendary.”

“Yeah, all we have to do is win,” she sighed sadly, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips as they sat down. “It’s a lot of pressure and it feels like it always falls on me.”

“That’s because you’re the best,” he gazed at her warmly, pouring all of his affection into a gentle squeeze of her hand. “You’re a winner, Rey. No matter whose team you’re on, you make everyone feel special. Like they can take over the world.”

She shook her head in a daze, a small smile creeping onto her face. “How do you know?”

“Because that’s how you make me feel,” he dropped her hand as her parents entered the dining room with plates full of food, ready to start their meal. “Like anything is possible.”


	12. The Understudy

Rey wondered if she was too young to feel this exhausted.

She had been burning it from both ends ever since her team had made it into the playoffs for field hockey, and barely had a moment to do her homework as October made its way into November. There was a game on Halloween, which completely ruined the holiday for her, and she couldn’t celebrate it the way she always had, with scary movies and obscene amounts of candy at Jannah’s house. Instead, she sat on a bus for half the day, missing school and her friends and her amazingly wonderful boyfriend Ben who happened to hate the holiday. 

She wanted to believe that if given the chance, she would have made it special for him.

But instead, she and the team had battled their way into the quarterfinals, with only a couple of more games to go in the postseason before securing their second championship in two years. Between student council, stage crew, field hockey and her daily homework assignments, Rey barely had time to shower and sleep, she was so beat. Ben noticed this every day, worrying over her and constantly making sure she was sleeping and eating properly. He was even keeping extra snacks in his locker for her. It was thoughtful, and adorable, but it wasn’t helping her much since she still felt sapped no matter how many meals she ate or how many hours she slept.

“You look tired, Sweetheart,” he said to her at rehearsal the following Thursday, while she leaned on his shoulder at the edge of the stage. Their legs dangled off the side and she buried herself into his black sweater, the smell of him and the texture of the soft material lulling her into a state of sleepiness. 

“I am tired,” she muttered softly, closing her eyes and breathing in his calming scent. She could fall asleep right here as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in close. “I’m shot.”

Rey felt Ben kiss the crown of her head and she wished it was her lips instead, but she barely had the energy to hold her head up. “Do you have practice this afternoon?”

She shook her head, burrowing deeper into his side. “No, Coach wants us to rest up. Quarterfinals are this weekend.” At that moment, she let out a yawn that almost snapped her jaw in two. “Thankfully I have a night off.”

“Maybe you should skip today’s rehearsal,” Ben rested his chin on her head while he held her tightly. “So you can go home and get some rest.”

“No,” she said groggily, lifting her head to look up into his worried gaze. "This is the most time I’ve spent with you outside of lunch and class in weeks. I’m making the most of it.” She leaned up to pepper light kisses on the side of his neck and chin, thrilled at the low moan that reverberated around her. “I miss kissing you.”

“Me too, Sweetheart,” he tilted her chin up to place a soft kiss on her lips, making her feel like they were lost in their own little world together. “We’ll have more time soon.”

She smiled softly at him, knowing that they only had a few more weeks to go until her schedule became more flexible again. The rest of the cast and stage crew were hanging around the stage and the audience, waiting for the teachers to arrive before rehearsal could start. Rey watched as Miss Holdo walked in, looking annoyed as she placed her personal items down on a spare seat in the front row.

“Okay cast, listen up,” Rey sadly pulled away from Ben as the rest of the cast surrounded them at the edge of the stage. She moved slowly, running her hand through Ben’s hair fondly and hopping off of the stage while she left the cast to speak with their director. Rey sat in the audience and texted Jannah, wondering if she was going to come to rehearsal like she had promised. “We have a little bit of a problem today,” Miss Holdo continued as the cast assembled on stage. “Kaydel had an emergency dentist appointment and left early. The plan was to go over the fight scene choreography and the first half of Act 2, but without a Kira here, we’re going to have to skip those scenes.”

Rey was barely listening, typing in a smiling emoji when Jannah responded that she was on her way to the auditorium. 

“I think I have a solution,” Ben raised his hand and Rey perked up her head. “I think Rey should stand in for Kaydel.”

Rey sat in the audience completely stunned as the other cast members stared directly at her. “Uhhhhh…” Rey muttered under her breath at everyone’s scrutiny.

“What are you talking about, Ben?” Miss Holdo looked confused and was ready to say no before Ben continued.

“Well, Rey knows the script pretty well, and she’s been helping me practice my lines. She’s actually really good,” Rey blushed under his praise as Ben made eye contact with her. “I think she could be a competent stand in for the day. Like an understudy.”

Miss Holdo turned to her in the audience and Rey could feel about a dozen pairs of eyes on her. “Rey, is that true? Could you be a stand in for us today?”

“I-I don’t know,” Rey stuttered, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. “I mean, I guess so, just for today. If Mr. Calrissian says it’s okay.”

“Great,” Miss Holdo looked relieved, smiling kindly. “Let’s give Mr. C a few more minutes to get here so we can get his permission. Take five, everyone.”

Ben hopped off the stage and joined Rey in the audience, his smile beaming as he approached. She was more than a little shaken up over the change in today’s rehearsal plans and couldn’t match his enthusiasm. “Ben, I don’t think this is a good idea,” she stated plainly.

His smile began to falter. “Why? What’s going on?”

“What we did in your living room was just some silly fun! I’ve never actually acted on stage before.” His gaze was reassuring but she still felt incredibly tense.

“Hey, this is just practice. You’re just standing in for Kaydel, nobody is judging you.”

Rey shook her head, feeling more than a little overwhelmed. “Of course everyone is judging me, Ben! You already told them I was good when I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“Hey,” he placed his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look up at him. “I know what I saw that night we practiced together. You’re basically a natural. If you’re not comfortable, we’ll tell Miss Holdo, but I need all the practice I can get and you’re the only person I trust to stand in for Kaydel. Can you do this for me?”

She tried to push away her annoyance, but her stubborn nature wouldn’t let go of it all. She pulled away from his grip on her shoulders and reached into her bag for her script. “Fine. Whatever.”

Ben backed up a few paces, alarmed at her tone. “Rey, I don’t want you to be mad. . .”

“I said I would do it, Ben,” her words were clipped and this was the first time she had ever snapped at her boyfriend in anger. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling as she walked away from him, heading towards Rose and sitting next to her with a huff of frustration. She saw Ben gazing at her sadly and tried to ignore the sting in her chest as she turned to the only girl in drama club she could truly trust. “Is there such a thing as a male diva?” Rey asked Rose with a serious expression. “Because I think my boyfriend is one.”

Rose laughed and shook her head. “Sadly there is, but I don’t know the name for it. But we call Ben the Drama King for a reason. He takes it all very seriously.”

“We practiced together a couple of times and now he wants me to be Kaydel’s stand in,” Rey could feel prickles of stage fright trail down her spine. “I’ve never been on stage before in my life.”

“Well, Ben doesn’t lie, especially about people’s acting talent,” Rose placed a hand on her shoulder in reassurance. “If he says you were good, then you’re good.”

“But what if I was only good because nobody else was watching?” Rey voiced her fears aloud. “I know this is only a rehearsal, but I’m really nervous.”

Rose nodded her head in sympathy. “Actors are taught to take their emotions and channel them into their acting. Let’s take a look at what we’re doing today.” Rose flipped through the script until they got to the first scene on the cast’s schedule. “Okay, this is the scene where Kylo begs Kira to join him in his crusade to kill Snoke, but Kira works for the FBI and can’t betray the government by going rogue. It’s very emotional because she already loves him, but can’t go with him, and they take out that anger on one another by engaging in a fight scene.”

“Should I be learning the fight choreography?” Rey wondered aloud. “I mean, it is Kay’s part.”

“Yeah, but it’s good to have a body on stage for blocking purposes, because then Ben can teach it to Kay when she comes to tomorrow’s rehearsal.” At that moment, Mr. Calrissian, Jannah and Zorii all walked into the auditorium and her friends looked confused to see her on stage. Miss Holdo pulled Mr. C to the side while the girls approached.

“Hey babe, what’s going on? I thought we were making props today,” Jannah asked in confusion.

“Kaydel is absent and Ben asked if I could be her stand-in for the day,” she grumbled, still unhappy with the idea.

“Uh-oh, trouble in paradise already?” Zorii asked while Rey tried to hit her with her script. Zorii ducked out of the way with a laugh. 

“Shut up,” Rey snapped. “I’m just a little nervous, that’s all.” She peeked over at Ben in the audience and found him staring at her and her group of girlfriends with longing in his gaze. She was still annoyed at him, no matter how sad and sorry he looked, and redirected her focus to her friends. “I’ve never done this before.”

Jannah adopted her British accent. “Well I think you’ll be smashing, darling. If you can fool the school into thinking you’re American, you can definitely crush a few scenes.”

“Thanks for your vote of confidence,” Rey said dryly as Mr. Calrissian and Miss Holdo approached the group.

“Miss Holdo filled me in on the change of plans. Are you okay with this Rey?” Mr. Calrissian asked firmly. “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

“I’m fine Mr. C,” she tried to force a smile. “Just a bit nervous.”

“Well, break a leg,” he gave her a quick tap on the head with his rolled up script and smiled at her fondly. “I’ll put these two to work in your absence.”

“All right, so Rey,” Miss Holdo stood before Rose and Rey while Mr. Calrissian led the other girls backstage. “Let’s get Ben on stage so we can plot out this scene.” 

She called Ben over and he approached the women slowly with the same wide-eyed look on his face since Rey had snapped at him. It made her feel like she had kicked a puppy, but there was no time to apologize now. She gave him a tight smile before following him to center stage, not saying a word. She was more focused on reading her script and trying not to mess up her very first attempt at acting on stage. 

Miss Holdo was clear and concise with her directions, walking Rey through the blocking of the scene while Ben chimed in with little pieces of advice. She was feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, the directions getting twisted in her mind as she struggled to keep up with it all. They hadn’t even started running lines when Miss Holdo began showing them some of the fight choreography.

“Now, Rey, I know this is a lot, but Ben will be writing down the directions in his script so he can practice on his own and teach it to Kaydel. Just try to follow along as best as you can.” Rey nodded and noticed Ben scribbling furiously into his script while Miss Holdo manipulated Rey into the fight positions, dictating the choreography to Ben.

“Okay so here, you’re going to throw a punch at Kira that gets blocked, and she’s going to immobilize you with a punch to the gut that lands you on the floor. You need to be breathing heavily, like the wind got knocked out of you. Kira has the chance to attack again but hesitates before she leaves you to rejoin her team. You think it's a rejection and end the scene with a scream of betrayal.”

“Okay,” Ben nodded quickly, writing the rest of the direction in his script. “Got it.”

“Now let’s run the scene from the top,” Miss Holdo released her grip on Rey and gave her a knowing look. “Just do your best, Rey. You’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” Rey said, gripping onto her script like a lifeline as she watched Ben take a deep breath before closing his eyes. When he opened them again, there was anger and hurt in his gaze, and she knew she was no longer looking at her boyfriend, but at Kylo Ren.

Well, she took a deep breath of her own and closed her eyes too, thinking about her frustration and annoyance and channeling it into the character. When she opened them, her anxiety started to melt away as she threw herself into the scene, forgetting about everything but the words on her script. Adrenaline coursed through her body as her previous fatigue morphed into anticipation.

“It’s time to let the past die,” Ben, no Kylo said as he walked towards her, his eyes pleading. “Kira, I want you to join me.” He reached out his hand and she recoiled, just like the script said. “With Snoke gone we can control the First Order, you and I.”

“No, Kylo,” she begged, emotion echoing in her tone. “Please don’t go this way.”

“You’re still holding on! Let go!” He yelled at her and tears began to prickle in her eyes at the energy that strummed between them. It was as if they were the only people that existed in the world as she fell into her emotions and allowed them to come to life. A small tear tracked down her face as she shook her head. 

“No, Kylo, this is my job you’re talking about, my life! I cannot betray them!”

“Please, Kira,” he begged once more, reaching his hand towards her as she stepped away. “Join me and we’ll never have to be alone again.”

“I can’t,” she sobbed, and Rey wasn’t even looking at the script anymore. She realized that she didn’t need to and had memorized her lines during blocking. “But if you come with me I can protect you!”

Ben shook his head as his eyes blazed with betrayal. Acting with him felt so real it was like they had been transported into their characters, and the hurt they caused one another felt authentic. “If you’re not with me, you’re against me.”

With that the fight choreography began, and Rey and Ben were quick to adapt to each other's energy as they worked through the movements. It was almost like a dance as they circled around each other, holding back their punches and exaggerating the action with grunts and yells. When Rey gave him the final “punch” to his gut he groaned, falling backwards and breathing deeply, making her wonder if she had actually hurt him. He looked up at her with such a wounded look of betrayal it was hard to believe it wasn’t his true emotion. Rey stared down at him, her lungs burning from the exertion of energy while an eruption from the audience snapped her out of her trance.

“That was freakin' awesome!” Poe screamed, pumping his fist in the air while the cast and stage crew cheered. Rey looked around the stage in shock, watching as everyone around them clapped in earnest for her and Ben’s performance. 

“Rey, you were amazing!” Miss Holdo walked on stage and pulled Rey in for a tight hug. “That was a phenomenal job.”

“See,” Ben pulled himself up from his position on the floor with a wistful smile. “I told you she was good.”

“I-I. . .” she didn’t know what to say as she spotted Jannah and Zorii cheering from stage right. “I just did what you said.” Her face felt like it was burning up under everyone’s praise as adrenaline continued to run its course through her body.

“Yes, but the energy you two have, it’s electric,” Miss Holdo still looked a little stunned at the performance. “It’s the kind of chemistry that actors kill for.”

“Yeah,” she trailed off as she noticed Ben heading for stage left without another word to anybody. “Ben is a great actor.”

“I think you should sign up for some true acting training, young lady,” Miss Holdo crossed her arms and gave her a tight nod. “You’re more talented than you give yourself credit for.” Her eyes narrowed as Rey suddenly felt nervous under her scrutiny. “I want you to be the female understudy for the cast.”

A bunch of heads turned at Miss Holdo’s announcement, especially Mr. Calrissian’s. “What?”

“In case of emergencies, the director should always have an understudy if an actor cannot perform. I think you should put the effort into learning more about Kaydel and Rose’s parts.” Miss Holdo turned to the audience and called Mr. Calrissian over. “What do you think, Lando? I know you wanted her for stage manager, but you can train your daughter to do it in case Rey is needed, right?”

“I guess so,” he rubbed the back of his neck while turning his attention to Rey. “I never knew you had it in you, kiddo.”

“Yeah,” Rey sighed as another responsibility was heaped onto her plate. “Me neither.”

“Great! It’s settled,” Holdo shot her a quick smile before turning to the audience. “Rey and Ben, take a break. Rose and Finn, you’re up next.” At her dismissal, Rey quickly turned around to find Ben, but didn’t see him in the audience with the rest of the cast. She headed towards stage left and entered the empty backstage area, noticing him sitting on the ratty old couch and staring up at the high ceilings.

“Ben?” She called softly and he nodded, not breaking his gaze. She approached him slowly, wondering if any Kylo Ren was lingering in his attitude before sitting down. He looked about as exhausted as she felt as he finally broke eye contact with the lights and ropes above to look at her.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” she tried to force a smile but it came out looking more like a grimace. “Miss Holdo wants me to be the female understudy.”

“I know, I heard,” he placed a hesitant hand over hers and sighed when she squeezed it lightly. “You really were amazing, Rey. You have no idea.”

“Yes, but Ben, this is just another responsibility I now have to juggle with everything else!” She couldn’t help how overwhelmed she felt as tears started to fall. “And I’m already so exhausted!”

“Hey, hey,” Ben pulled her in for a hug and she collapsed into him, the lumpy couch squeaking at her rushed movements. “Don’t worry, it’s okay.”

“I have field hockey and student council and my stage crew responsibilities,” she cried miserably. “Now I have to learn not one, but two whole parts! I don’t think I can do this.”

“You can,” Ben said firmly, and she shook her head in denial. “Rey, seriously, look at me.” She sniffled miserably and looked up at him, the tears still falling steadily. “That scene, what we just did, was mind-blowing. I wish you could have seen how focused and intense and amazing you were on stage. Didn’t you feel how connected we were? How real everything felt?” She nodded softly and he continued. “You’re an incredible actor. Everyone out there saw it. You deserve to be out on that stage, even if it’s just as an understudy. And I will help you. You’re not alone.”

She wistfully remembered the scene they had practiced a few weeks ago, during their first date. “Neither are you,” she repeated, recalling the script.

“See?” Ben grinned and she couldn’t help but smile herself. “You already know the script better than you think. You were hardly even looking at it out there. I know you can do this.” He took on a more serious tone as his smile melted into a frown. “But then again, this is all my fault. I’m sorry I pushed you out of your comfort zone, but I’m not sorry for showing everyone just how talented you truly are. Besides, if everything goes as planned, they won’t even need you.” He looked contrite as his whole posture seemed to sag. “I hope you’re not mad at me.”

She bit her lip, holding onto him a little tighter. “I’m still a little annoyed, but I see where you’re coming from. As long as you promise to help me, I think I’ll be okay.”

“Whatever you need, Rey, just tell me. We can practice at lunch, after rehearsals, during the weekends, just name the day.”

Rey allowed a copious amount of sarcasm to enter her tone. “I don’t know, Ben, I’ll have to check my busy schedule. I seem to be quite overbooked until the beginning of December.”

Ben shocked her when he practically jumped off the couch, making her fall over onto the lumpy old cushions with a small shriek. “Hey!”

“Come on,” Ben held out a hand for her to take and pulled her up onto her feet. “We gotta get a move on.”

“What are you talking about?” She said as he started pulling her back on stage and down the stage steps. “Where are we going?”

Ben didn’t answer her, but called up to Miss Holdo on the stage. “I’m taking Rey home. She’s exhausted and not feeling well. I’ll put in more time at tomorrow’s rehearsal to make up for Kaydel’s absence.”

“Alright,” Miss Holdo agreed, jerking her thumb towards the stage. “Finn seems to be having trouble with his fight choreography with Rose anyway.”

“She is small and fast,” Finn complained as Rose landed a true punch in his upper arm. “And she’s actually hitting me!”

“Move faster, dummy!” Rose yelled, bouncing from foot to foot like a boxer. “I’m not going easy on you!”

“Ow!” Finn’s scream echoed through the auditorium while Rey stifled a laugh.

“Hey, what about us?” Poe approached Ben while Rey collected her jacket and books, thankful for the break from her responsibilities. “You’re our ride home!”

“Call an Uber!” Was the last thing Ben yelled before he and Rey left the auditorium and the drama of drama club behind, walking hand in hand to the parking lot.

“So the president gets to ditch rehearsal whenever he wants?” Rey teased as they entered his car.

“Not really,” he shrugged as he put on the heat in the chilly November air. “But since I caused you extra stress it’s my job to make sure you get home and get some actual rest.” His eyes were playful and flirty as he winked at her. “It’s also a chance for us to make out and release some of that energy from the fight scene. You beating me up was the hottest thing I’ve ever experienced in my life.”

Despite her fatigue, Rey couldn’t help but laugh as Ben drove her home. True to his word, Ben spent the rest of the afternoon helping her finish her homework. He read over some of the script with her, and kissed her until she was breathless for the better part of an hour until her parents arrived home from work. When he left, she ate a quiet dinner with her family, showered, and slept better than she had in weeks.

If he promised to spoil her like this everyday, Ben could sign her up for every club under the sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously I changed around the events of the Throne Room scene to fit the play, but I threw in a famous Anakin line that I thought vibed well with Kylo Ren's motives. So glad you're all enjoying the drama of my little drama club!


	13. Night of Surprises

About a week had passed since Rey had become the official female understudy for the cast, and Ben spent every moment he could with his girlfriend, trying to prepare her for an emergency performance. He was eating dinner at the Patine’s about twice a week these days, meeting Rey at her house after her field hockey practice and his rehearsals were over to help her with her homework and her lines. Ben was tired, but not as exhausted as Rey seemed to be, which only fueled his desire to help her even more. 

Rey’s team had won their quarterfinal round and was now preparing for the semi-final round which was quickly approaching. With less than four weeks left until the play, time was not on their side as the November days became shorter and colder.

They needed a break, the both of them. The rigors of their responsibilities were starting to take their toll as he noticed dark circles under Rey’s eyes during lunch. With their table now fit to burst with all the new “friends” he had made, it was hard to get a word in edgewise as everyone talked over one another. 

It was odd how the dynamic had changed since Rey’s friends started joining them for lunch. Kaydel and Rose seemed to be enthralled by Snap and Armie, while Poe and Zorii were constantly arguing over something, no matter how trivial. Finn and Rey had started to become very close as well, leaving Ben to feel like the outsider of the group more often than not. He was quiet on the best of days, and the crush of people around him only rendered him more insular as the days went by.

Most days he didn’t mind it, and was genuinely happy that his friends were getting along with Rey’s. He had been talking with Jannah more often, especially since he had known her the longest out of anyone in his circle of friends. She was a sweet girl, who cared about Rey and understood the ins and outs of Ben’s family without needing to explain anything.

With Rey locked in a conversation with Finn, he took the time to observe her fondly, wondering if there was anything else he could do to remove the air of fatigue that had been a constant presence for the past few weeks. It seemed like no matter what he did to help her, it wasn’t enough. 

“Hey Jannah,” she was staring down at her phone and perked up when he called her name. No one else seemed to notice, since they were all distracted in their own conversations.

“What’s up Solo?” 

“Come with me to the vending machines, I want to ask you something.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of dollars as she shrugged and stood up from the table. No one seemed to notice them leaving.

“When is the semi-final match?” He asked her as they made their way to the candy machine on the far side of the cafeteria.

“This Saturday,” she explained. “It’s actually out on the east end of the island, so we don’t have to drive far, thank God. If we make it to the finals it will be next Saturday, all the way up by Canada or some shit. It’s like an eight hour drive.”

He nodded, slipping a dollar into the machine and buying a Twix, Rey’s favorite candy. “OK, good to know. Do you want anything?” He nodded towards the machine and Jannah shook her head. 

“No thanks. Why do you ask?”

He took a deep breath before picking out a bag of chips for himself. “I want to take Rey out on Friday night, but I want it to be kind of a surprise. She’s been working so hard lately.”

“Aw, that’s sweet!” Jannah pursed her lips and cocked her head fondly. “Yeah, since we don't have to show up at school at the ass-crack of dawn, I think a night out with her would be perfect.”

They started to walk back towards the table. “Any ideas?” He shrugged. “I’m still kinda new at this whole ‘boyfriend’ thing.”

Jannah tapped her chin in thought. “Well, she loves old movies, and she has a thing about antique shops. For some reason, she likes to collect old junk.”

“Old movies and antique shops,” he repeated, committing them to memory. He wasn’t sure he could fit in the antique shop on their first big date but stored the idea in his mind for later use. “I can work with that.”

“Good luck, Solo,” Jannah winked as they sat back down at the table. Rey and Finn had noticed their absence and Ben had to laugh at Rey’s little pout.

“Hey, where did you go?” He held up the Twix for her and she squealed happily, clapping her hands and taking it from Ben’s hand. “Yay! I love Twix!”

“I know,” he wrapped an arm around her shoulder while Finn glanced between him and Jannah.

“Good luck?” Finn echoed Jannah’s statement. “Good luck with what?” Finn questioned.

“Oh nothing,” Ben waved away Finn’s concern. “Just an idea I had.”

“What kind of idea?” Rey looked up at him with a playful gaze and he poked her on the nose. 

“You’ll see.” She scrunched up her face and gave him another adorable pout.

“Boo,” she grimaced. “I don’t like waiting. I’m good at it, but I don’t like it.”

“You won’t have to wait long,” he assured her. “What are your plans for Friday night?”

Rey shook her head slowly. “Nothing. Resting up before the semi-finals.”

“If I promise to get you home early, can I take you out on Friday?” Her hazel gaze lit up with excitement as she beamed at him.

“Of course!” Her happiness was infectious as he shared a matching grin. “Where are we going?”

“It's a surprise,” he winked at Jannah as she gave him an elaborate eye-roll.

“Real smooth, Solo.” Jannah drolled.

“Ooh, my boyfriend and my best friend are plotting something,” she turned to Finn with a sneaky smile. “I’m gonna find out one way or another what’s going on.”

“Good luck,” Finn shook his head. “Solo can be as silent as a monk when he wants to.”

Rey rubbed her hands together, a scheming look on her face that made Ben’s smile falter. “I’ll crack him like porcelain.”

Ben shook his head in amusement. “I mean, I’ve told you before that you’re hot when you’re scary but this is a whole different level.”

“So many questions, Solo,” Rey rarely called him by his last name, but it never failed to render him flustered. “Which one do I start with first?”

Luckily, the bell rang at that moment, so Rey could not begin what looked like an intense interrogation. Ben knew he had to be very careful with his planning so she wouldn’t find out anything. Starting this afternoon, he would have to do his research in order to make their date as special as she was. He already had a rough draft of ideas that needed more thought. 

Over the next few days, Rey was relentless in her pursuit for answers. If she wasn’t bugging Ben for information, she was hounding Jannah with questions that they both refused to answer. Who knew trying to keep a surprise from Rey was going to be so much trouble? 

At Thursday’s rehearsal, Ben finally had enough with the constant questions, placing gentle hands on her shoulders as they sat backstage together. “Sweetheart,” he explained kindly as she began to frown. “You need to stop fishing for information.”

“But I want to know,” she whined, and he kissed her softly in order to erase the pout on her lips.

“You’ll know tomorrow,” he consoled. “I put a lot of effort into making this date special for you, and I don’t want anything ruined before I get the chance to surprise you.”

Rey’s lower lip quivered and she looked up at him with longing in her hazel eyes. “I’m just really excited,” she explained. “No one has ever done anything like this for me before.”

“I know,” he cupped her face gently, bending over to let his lips linger on hers once more. As he pulled away, her lips chased his until they were kissing again. “That’s why I’m doing this. You’ve been working so hard, and you deserve a night that’s exciting and surprising and fun. Please let me do this for you.”

“Okay,” she finally relented with a grimace. “I’ll stop asking questions about the date.” Rey peered up at him with squinted eyes. “Can I just ask one more? I promise I’m not fishing for information.”

“Sure.”

“What should I wear?”

Now that was a question he could actually answer. “Well, I’m going to be dressed a little fancier than normal. I think you should too.”

There was a manic gleam in her eyes that only heightened his anticipation for the surprise. “A little fancy?” She repeated. “I think I have the perfect outfit.”

“Good,” he pulled away from her after he heard Poe yelling for him on stage. “Now no more questions!” He called behind him. “You’ll find out tomorrow!”

The next day, Ben rushed home from rehearsal like his life depended on it, hopping into the shower and grooming himself with a close shave and ample amounts of hair products. His mom had been kind enough to iron his red button down shirt and black pants, and his dad had even leant him one of his best black ties for the occasion. When he came downstairs he was immediately blinded by the flash of his mother’s cell phone as she stood in the living room and snapped some pictures.

“Argh!” He groaned, blinking away the spots in his vision.

“You look so dashing, Ben!” His mother walked up to him and immediately started fiddling with his tie, which wasn’t sitting straight. She smoothed it out and adjusted his collar to lay flat. “You have my credit card, right?”

“Yes,” he patted the wallet in his back pocket. “Thank you. I promise I'll pay you back as soon as I can.”

“Oh no worries,” she grinned before calling for his father. “Han, come see how good Ben looks!” Ben rolled his eyes with a groan as his father exited the kitchen with his arms crossed over his chest. 

“You clean up nice, Kid,” Han said gruffly, reaching into his pocket. “Here,” Han tossed something and Ben couldn’t believe his eyes as he caught the keys to his father’s Range Rover. “Take her out in something a little nicer than the Falcon.”

“Wow, Dad,” he was shocked that his dad was letting him drive the good car and pocketed the keys before pulling on his coat. “Thanks.”

“Your curfew is midnight, young man,” his mother pinned him in place with her most severe look. “And I’m being as generous as I possibly can.”

“You got it, Mom,” he leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

“Have fun!” Leia called as he walked to the front door.

“Wrap it up if you’re gonna get lucky!” His father yelled, and both he and his mother turned around with various shades of horror on their faces.

“Dad!”

“Han!”

“What?” His old man shrugged blithely. “I’m too young for grandbabies.”

Ben was about to stutter out what would probably be an epically embarrassing response, but Leia pushed him towards the door. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the old scoundrel,” she sighed, shaking her head. “You just go and have fun. Be safe.”

Ben covered up a laugh as he exited the house, heading for his father’s black Range Rover in disbelief. Ever since he was given the Falcon, he had only been in his father’s new car a handful of times, and never as the driver. Ben started the engine and felt the machine come to life as he set the climate controls to warm up the car and make it comfortable for Rey.

The Rover was bigger than the Falcon, but drove smoothly as he exited his neighborhood and turned onto the main road that would lead him to Old Coruscant. He no longer needed the GPS to help him navigate around the winding roads and arrived at her house a little after 6pm. He left the car running in the front circle and approached the door, ready to get this night started.

He was surprised when Rey opened the door and not her parents. “Hey,” she smiled softly, and he almost forgot to breathe when he saw what she was wearing. A tan sweater dress was tight against her frame, accentuating her athletic figure and hugging her hips and chest, leaving little to the imagination. Her legs were bare and she was sporting ankle-length brown boots that added a few inches to her height. She was wearing makeup for the first time since they started dating, making her seem older and enhancing her natural beauty. Gold earrings and a pearl necklace dazzled in the light from the chandelier above her as she pulled on a cream colored peacoat, protecting her from the chill.

“You look amazing,” was the only thing he could say as she joined him on the front steps and closed the door behind her. “Where are your parents?”

“They’re gone for the weekend,” she shrugged, but Ben could tell that their absence hit her hard. “They haven’t traveled for close to a month because of me, and I was starting to get used to them being home all the time.” She sighed as they walked down the steps hand in hand. “But it’s only for a few days.” She glanced up at him and shared a secret little smile. “They kind of don’t know that I’m going out tonight.”

“Ohh,” he teased playfully. “Keeping secrets are we?”

“Maybe,” she grinned, squeezing his hand. “Not as many as you are though.”

“Yes, and I am ready to reveal them all. Your chariot awaits,” he led her towards his father’s car and her eyes popped open in shock.

“Ben, this car is gorgeous! What happened to the Falcon?”

“My dad let me borrow his car for the night,” Ben explained. “And my mom is letting me stay out until midnight.” He opened the door for her and she climbed into the passenger seat.

“Aww,” she cooed when he joined her in the driver’s seat. “You’re like Cinderella, with the whole chariot and midnight curfew.” She laughed at her own metaphor. “Ben-erella.”

“Call me that again and we’re going to Wendy’s,” he deadpanned while heading out of the front circle. Her laughter echoed in the spacious car while she fiddled with the speakers. Soft pop music surrounded them as they headed towards the highway.

“Ben, where are we going?” She asked while he merged into traffic. “I think I’m allowed to ask questions again since the date has officially started.”

“We have reservations at 7,” he explained softly, purposefully being vague. “And we need to be at the theatre by 8:30.”

“Ooh, you’re killing me!” She placed her hand on his knee and squeezed, forcing him to focus on the road and not get distracted by her touch. “I want to know so bad!”

“And you will,” he teased. “In about fifteen minutes.” She laughed again and Ben was thrilled as the anticipation grew. They pulled off of the highway after a few exits east, making their way into the small town center. When Ben parked the car in a municipal lot, he walked around to help his girlfriend down from the high seats. She shivered slightly in the cold November breeze as he held her hand and walked towards the main street.

“First,” he explained slowly, ready to finally reveal all of his well-thought plans. “We have reservations at Le Canard Doré.”

“Le Canard Doré?!” She screeched happily, jumping up and down in her heeled boots.

“Then, there’s a local theatre that’s showing one of my grandmother’s favorite movies. It’s called Charade, with Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant, from 1963.” He smiled wryly at the information he had dug up about the movie. “People call it the Hitchcock thriller that Hitchcock never made.”

“Oh my God, Ben!” He looked down to see pure joy radiating off of her as she squeezed his hand. “How did you know I liked old movies? Audrey Hepburn is my favorite.”

“Jannah helped me with that one,” he admitted as they turned the corner. “I happen to like old movies too.”

“Ben,” Rey stopped walking, tugging at Ben’s arm as they stood on the sidewalk in the late fall chill. There was an emotion in her eyes that Ben noticed often, but could never name. He was pretty sure it was the way he always looked at her, with nothing but pure adoration. Her nose was reddened by the cold and she sniffled softly. “This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.” He noticed the beginnings of tears in her eyes. “I-I. . .” she stuttered, and he watched as she shook her head. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t need to say anything, Rey,” he wiped an errant tear that trailed down her cheek. “You just need to enjoy the night. It’s all about you.”

She looked like she wanted to say something else, but instead jumped forward and trapped him in a tight hug. “Thank you,” she whispered into his coat. “Thank you so much.” She giggled softly. “I feel like I’m going to cry my makeup off.”

“You would still look just as beautiful,” he assured her, pulling away from the hug. “Now let’s go. I’m pretty sure escargot is on the menu and Madame Kanata would be happy if we were adventurous with French cuisine.”

She laughed heartily. “You know me, I’ll eat anything!”

He held out his arm for her and she wrapped her hand around his bicep. “After you, Mademoiselle.”

“Merci, Monsieur,” her eyes were twinkling as they entered the restaurant, and after Ben gave his name to the hostess, they were seated right away. The restaurant was small, and the low light gave it a very romantic ambiance as Ben pulled out Rey’s char for her to sit. She beamed at him while he took off his coat, and Rey gasped when she took in his appearance.

“Wow,” she breathed as her gaze lingered on him. “You look great, Ben.” She took a sip of water and fanned herself with the menu. “I might just have to skip dinner so I can eat you up.”

Ben blushed under her praise and adjusted his tie. “It’s funny,” he smirked. “I wanted to say the same thing to you when you answered the door.” Her eyes brightened and Ben suddenly felt very hot and flustered in the small restaurant. She was staring at him in a way that made his pulse quicken and Ben knew for a fact that no one had ever looked at him that way before.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what that look meant.

Ben coughed lightly, taking a sip of water and glancing down at the menu. They had been dating for almost a month, but had never done more than kiss one another and cuddle. Last week she had allowed him to reach under her shirt and rub her back, but when his hands had grazed the clasp of her bra, she had pulled away with a furious blush. It was bad enough he was constantly trying to hide his boners from her every time they made out, if they went any further he would probably humiliate himself with his inexperience. 

Part of him wished he had some frame of reference when it came to the more intimate parts of his relationship with Rey, but the other part of him was a romantic pushover who wanted every experience to be with her, no matter how embarrassing it might be. 

He shook away any lingering thoughts about intimacy with Rey in order to focus on the menu as the waitress approached the table. They ordered enough French delicacies to make Madame Kanata proud as they picked at baguette and talked about everything and nothing at the same time. Rey shared her theory that Snap had a crush on Kaydel while he wondered aloud about Rose’s infatuation with Armie Hux, who now sat next to the girls everyday at lunch. They laughed at the merging of their groups of friends as she reached over the table to take his hand.

“And to think, this all happened because I was brave enough to join stage crew.”

“Yes,” he remembered fondly. “And even then I was terrified every time you tried to talk to me.”

She laughed heartily as their food arrived, and they spent the next half an hour tasting each other’s dishes, commenting on the things they liked or didn’t like, and boasting over their bravery to try escargot. Ben had actually enjoyed the dish while Rey turned her nose up at it.

“Well, I’ve finally found a food I didn’t like,” she grimaced at the snail shell on her plate. “Is it dessert time yet?”

They split a crème brûlée and a chocolate mousse for dessert before Ben paid the bill, checking his watch to make sure they weren’t late for the movie. Rey was beaming as they walked up to the old theatre down the road from the restaurant and reached for Ben’s hand when he went to pay for the tickets.

“No, you paid for dinner. Let me pay for the movie,” she urged.

“No way,” he shook his head firmly. “I’m taking care of everything. You just enjoy yourself.”

“Ben,” she gazed up at him in wonder and after paying for the tickets they made a quick stop at the concession stand for popcorn. She refused to let him buy the snacks and he relented, allowing her to pay for the salty treat. Hand in hand, he led her down the ornate aisles and velvet lined seats. They stayed connected the entire length of the movie, and he spent the better part of the film gauging her reactions as the thriller shocked them both with various twists and turns. It was definitely one of the best movies he had ever seen as they walked out of the theatre into the chilly night air.

They were quiet as Ben drove them back into Coruscant, the light music and heated seats lulling Rey to sleep as she closed her eyes and sunk into the warmth. While he knew he had to focus on the dark, empty roads, he kept peeking over at her beautiful face, wondering how he ever got lucky enough to have Rey in his life. They pulled onto her property a little before 11, and LED lights that were built into the sides of the driveway helped him navigate the dark path to her house.

When he pulled into the front circle, he reached over and pushed the hair away from her face, whispering to her as she woke from her light nap. “Rey? We’re back.”

Her eyes fluttered open and she yawned, stretching and gazing up at him with sleepy eyes. “Hey,” she said softly.

“Hey,” he returned, his heart bursting after the perfect night they had shared. He couldn’t stop touching her as he continued to run his fingers through her hair.

“I don’t want this night to be over yet,” she pouted sadly, looking around her at the empty house.

“Me neither,” he shook his head fondly as she unbuckled her seatbelt. “I’m so happy you enjoyed it.”

“Come inside,” she said suddenly, reaching up to cup his cheeks in her hands. She leaned over the center console to place an urgent kiss on his lips. “You still have time before you need to be home. Please come inside with me.” 

There was a fire in her gaze that he couldn’t deny as every nerve in his body fired off the same excited response. He didn’t know what was going to happen, but everything instinct was telling him that it was going to be amazing for the both of them. This was the next step that he had been waiting for as he kissed her with all the passion he felt in his heart. 

“YOkay,” he breathed against her lips and he could feel her smile against his. “Let’s go.”


	14. The Next Step

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rating has gone up a notch! But don't forget what I wrote in the tags. These two are the definition of awkward teenage mess and I mean every single word.

The house was dark and eerily quiet when Rey entered, plugging in the alarm code as Ben followed her through the foyer. A low thrum of excitement buzzed through her as she gripped his hand and turned on the lights in the dining room, illuminating the large space around them.

To say that Rey was nervous was an understatement of massive proportions. She had been waiting for this moment for what seemed like ages, and after the amazing night they had shared, she knew she was ready to take the next step with Ben. But to be completely honest, she didn’t even know where to start, or what that next step would be. Ben had just spoiled her beyond belief and now she had him alone in her house. She wanted to find some way to reciprocate her feelings for him, but the clock was ticking, and Ben only had about an hour before he had to be home. She didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize their relationship, and getting his parents mad was a definite no-no.

So instead of bringing him to her room, where she desperately wanted to take him, Rey led him down the opposite wing of the house to a place he had never seen before. A wicked seed of a thought entered her mind and got stuck there, blossoming into a plan that made her blush from her head down to her toes. There was something about Ben that made her bold, and she held onto that feeling as they walked down a short staircase.

“Rey,” Ben’s voice was low and thrummed around her in the darkened halls. “Where are we going?” 

She shivered at the sultry tone of his voice and looked behind her to smile at him coyly. “You’ll see.”

They finally arrived at a set of wide double doors and Rey pushed them open to reveal her indoor pool, illuminated with blue LED lights and low ambient lights from the high hats above them. She purposefully left the overhead lights low as she heard him gasp behind her, following her into the large space as the smell of chlorine permeated the air. The room was heated, so Rey quickly took off her coat and draped it over one of the numerous chaises that lined the back wall. The entire front wall was made of glass and looked out at the terrasse and landscaping of the back of her property. She turned around to gauge Ben’s reaction and laughed at the childlike expression of wonder on his face as he took in his surroundings.

“Whoa,” he breathed as he unbuttoned his coat. “This place is awesome.”

“I told you,” she fluffed up her hair and walked up to him, trying to act as sultry as possible as she helped him remove his coat. His gaze was heavy and she noticed his eyes lingering on her hips as she moved. “This is the best part of the house.”

“I-I,” he stuttered softly, tripping over his words as she started playing with his tie. “I don’t have a bathing suit.”

Rey felt powerful as she watched Ben get reduced to a flustered mess under her hands. “I don’t think we need one.” She reached her hand behind his head to pull him down into a scorching kiss, feeling weightless as he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up effortlessly. She giggled against his mouth as her legs kicked behind her in the air, feeling like she was flying in his arms. He twirled them in a circle before placing her down but didn’t break the kiss once, his tongue licking against her lips as she opened her mouth and greedily begged for more of him. He obliged, running his hands down her back and squeezing her hips softly as she moaned.

“Rey,” he pulled back slightly, his gaze lidded and voice thick. “I didn’t think…” he trailed off as a blush colored his cheeks. “I don’t have a condom.”

Rey shook her head with a shy smile. “I don’t think we’re ready for that yet,” she tugged at his tie playfully. “But I do think we should take advantage of this giant empty pool while we have the chance.”

“Okay,” he nodded and kissed her again, and she gasped when she felt his hand inch towards the hem of her sweater dress. The reality of the situation suddenly hit her and she thrilled at the idea of being with Ben like this, and discovering this side of her with him. It was everything she had ever wanted and it was all happening at this very moment.

Her hands pulled at his tie and removed the silk fabric slowly, hearing him groan as his hands slipped under her hem and grabbed onto the globes of her ass with a light squeeze. Her gasp echoed in the giant room and she immediately started to unbutton his red dress shirt, her hands trembling at the thought of finally seeing Ben undressed and bare before her. Of her being bare before him. It was scary and exciting all at the same time.

Ben pulled off his dress shirt and she kicked off her shoes, dropping a few inches in height as she took in his massive frame in a white wife beater and black slacks. He looked shy as he removed his shoes and she could see a tent in his pants that made her heart start pounding in her chest. This was really happening. She and her boyfriend were really getting naked together for the first time. Rey was ecstatic that they had waited until tonight to do so, so she could remember this perfect night forever.

Feeling emboldened by his body’s reaction, she pulled the sweater dress over her head and placed it on the chaise over their coats, standing in front of him in nothing but her beige bra and pink panties. If she had known that they were going to get naked together she would have planned this out better, but the spontaneity of it all was much more appealing to her as he took in her lithe figure. Rey had never been very self conscious because she knew that she was fit and lean, but for a moment she wondered if her breasts were too small or if her hips were too wide as she took in his reaction. This was starting to feel a little bit overwhelming and she wondered if she was truly ready for this next big step.

“You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen,” Ben walked forward and placed a hand on her waist. It was so big it almost covered the entirety of her back. He pulled her in close and she could feel his body’s reaction against her abdomen as bolts of excitement ripped through her. He kissed her deeply and she couldn’t control the way her body rocked against his as he let out a moan that made her head spin. Her hands reached for his wife beater, pulling it out of his pants and over his head. She felt almost lightheaded at the sight of his bared chest, making a mental note that Poe had been correct about his six-pack. He was deliciously cut for someone who wasn’t involved in team sports.

“You’re gorgeous,” she whispered as she trailed her fingers down his chest, feeling him shiver under her touch. “How did you get so buff?” She wondered as his cheeks went pink.

“I work out a couple of times a week,” he whispered softly, and Rey could hear the tremor in his voice. “I was teased a lot in middle school for being so tall. I knew I needed to find a way to fill out.”

“You’ve done an amazing job,” she leaned in for another kiss, the heat between them simmering into a boil as she placed her hands against the muscles of his pecs before dropping them lower and resting them above his belt buckle. She tugged at it playfully and started to undo the buckle as his breathing sped up. 

“Rey,” he sighed dreamily as she pulled his belt off. “You’re killing me.”

“You can’t die yet,” she joked playfully. “We’re just getting to the good part.” The belt joined her clothes on the chaise as he unbuttoned his pants and let them drop to the ground in a heap of black fabric. He stepped out of them slowly and they took a moment to stare at one another, appreciating the view of each other in nothing but their underwear. He was beautiful in such a purely masculine way, all long firm limbs and defined muscles. She couldn’t believe he was all hers.

His arms wrapped around her, pulling her in for a tight hug as their semi-naked bodies met. She closed her eyes against the sensations rippling through her, and tightened her hold on him to bask in the intimacy of the moment. This was enough for her, even if they stood like this all night long, but a part of her was desperate to take things to the next level, even though she wasn’t sure if she was ready. She tried to rationalize it to herself as they stood in the ambient blue lights of her pool. They were seniors, and they cared about each other, so why not take it one step further? She cared about Ben more than she had ever cared about another person, so why should she hold herself back? Was she going to be a virgin forever? They were almost eighteen years old.

“Can you unhook my bra?” She asked sweetly, lifting her head to watch his eyes shoot open in shock.

“Y-yeah,” he stammered. “Of course.” Her bra only had two clips because of her small cup size and Ben peeked over her shoulder to make sure he was doing it correctly. When the clasp came loose she let the straps fall down her shoulders, pulling away from him so she could remove it. Ben’s eyes were the size of dinner plates when he took in her naked chest and she could feel her blush go all the way down to her toes. 

Rey stood there awkwardly before Ben and winced because he wasn’t saying anything. He was hardly blinking as she stood there under his consuming gaze. Some of the boldness was starting to melt into shyness as he continued to stare at her, and the self doubt came back again with a vengeance. Maybe she wasn’t ready for this, and taking off her bra had been a mistake. Rey couldn’t help the sudden urge to escape the intensity of Ben’s gaze, and she turned around and quickly jumped into the heated pool with her underwear still on as mortification shot through her like a bullet. 

As bold as she felt, and as much as she cared about Ben, she realized with a shock that she wasn’t ready to remove that final piece of clothing and took the coward’s way out, kicking her legs and taking her as far away from him as the pool would allow. She heard a splash and knew that Ben had followed her into the water as she swam towards the deep end of the pool, finding the edge and holding on while the sudden urge to cry washed over her. The tears were abrupt and unbidden, coursing down her face while the water splashed behind her, signaling Ben’s approach.

“Rey?” His voice was panicked as he reached her, holding onto the edge next to her as she turned her face and quasi-naked body from him. Rey felt like an absolute fool as their sexy, perfect night was ruined by her sudden and overwhelming shyness and self-doubt. “Rey, Sweetheart, please tell me what’s wrong.”

“I-I’m sorry,” she gasped, too afraid to look in his eyes and see disappointment there. “I th-thought I was ready to do this with you but all of a sudden I just felt so, so. . .” she trailed off with a sharp sob, not knowing how to explain her feelings to the boy who had done nothing but make her feel like the most special girl in the world. 

“Rey, please,” his voice sounded pained as she continued to face away from him. He pressed close to her and she could feel that his boxers were still on as some of the tension ebbed. “I don’t want to do anything you’re not ready for. Please, I love you so much and I don’t want you to feel like you’ve been pressured into doing anything you’re not ready to do.”

A stunned gasp left her lips as she turned around to face him in the water, her arm covering her chest while the other kept her anchored on the side of the pool. “You,” she shook her head, not believing what she had heard. “You love me?”

“Rey,” his expression was tortured as he reached for her, but held back before he could touch her. “I have loved you for so long I can't remember what it was like to not love you.” He shook his head, making water droplets fall around his dripping face. “I should have told you that the moment we started dating. I love you, Rey. And if I’ve made you feel uncomfortable or pushed you out of your comfort zone, I’ll never forgive myself.” Now his voice was starting to become thick with emotion as his lips tightened into a firm line. She saw the shimmer of tears in his deep brown eyes and knew that she had to reassure him of her feelings, just like she had needed to hear his.

“I love you too, Ben,” she reached for him and he was quick to wrap his arms around her while they kicked their legs to stay afloat. She kissed him as water splashed all around them, pouring all the emotions she felt for him into their embrace. “I love you so much.”

“Rey,” he whispered against her lips and she forgot all about modesty and shyness as she pressed her naked chest against his torso and sighed into their kiss. 

“Ben,” the drag of his skin against hers felt so good as her body began to shake in his arms from the emotion. The water was warm but goosebumps erupted all over her body as he held on to her even tighter.

“Come on,” he headed towards the ladder with Rey still in his embrace and she marveled at his strength and agility in the water. “Let’s get you dried off.”

“Are you mad at me?” Her voice sounded so small as she climbed up the ladder before him, shivering in her panties as her arms crossed over her chest.

“Never,” his voice was firm and his gaze was serious as he joined her on the pool deck, dripping water everywhere. “You have every right to change your mind when it comes to this, Rey. I’m not ready until you’re ready. I mean it.”

Ben walked over to the alcove where white fluffy towels were always stocked for anyone who wanted to use the pool. She watched as he grabbed two of them, then walked up to Rey and wrapped the towel around her shoulders, covering her up tightly. He used the second one to wipe down his face and hair and tucked it around his waist. She did the same, wincing at the makeup that was left behind on the damp towel. She probably looked like a drowned rat and felt mortified at her cowardice as she wrapped the towel around her chest and tucked the corner under her armpit. She felt Ben’s fingers lift up her chin and she looked up into his soulful gaze, sniffling softly.

“You’re thinking too hard again,” he squinted at her. “And whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably wrong.”

She looked away from him, sitting down on one of the empty chaises. “How do you know?”

“Because you have that look in your eyes,” he explained, sitting down on the chaise next to her. “That look of doubt, of fear.”

“How can you know me so well?” She shook her head against the feelings of doubt that Ben was able to recognize so easily. “When it feels like I don’t even know myself sometimes.”

“Because I see you, Rey. I see everything about you. And what I see is a strong, independent, amazingly beautiful, talented young woman who is tearing herself apart with everyone else’s expectations.” 

He reached out for her and she took his hand gratefully, knowing deep down that Ben might be the only person that truly saw her struggle. Because deep down, she knew he was right. Between her parents, her coach, her friends, and her own expectations, Rey was trying to live up to a standard that she was not ready for. She needed to make her own decisions and live her life the way she wanted to. 

She shook her head sadly, still struggling with the disappointment she felt in herself. “So if I told you I wasn’t ready, and that I didn’t know when I would be, you wouldn’t be mad at me?”

“Not in the least,” he said with absolute certainty.

“What if I’m never ready?” Her voice shook with fear. “What if I’m doomed to be a virgin forever?”

“Then we will be the happiest virgins who have ever walked this planet,” Ben reassured her with an amused huff of laughter, but it only made her feel even more despondent.

“What did I do to ever deserve you, Ben?” She got up from the chaise and launched herself into his towel covered lap, crying into his damp shoulder. “I love you so much.” 

He wrapped his arms around her and maneuvered them around while he leaned back against the chaise, allowing her to lay on his chest with nothing but the towel keeping them separated. “I love you too, Sweetheart. All I care about is being with you. I’m sure sex is great and all, but if it’s not with you, if you’re not ready, then I don’t want it.”

She didn’t know what to say after that, so she just nodded her head against his chest and let the water droplets from her hair drip onto him in silence. He held onto her for what felt like ages, stroking her wet hair and placing little kisses on her head and cheeks, wherever he could reach. 

After a few minutes, she felt his body reacting to her closeness again. She felt him stiffen underneath her as he huffed out an apology.

“I’m sorry,” he said sullenly. “It kind of has a mind of its own.”

“That’s okay,” she replied softly, reaching up to kiss him. She no longer felt the same pressure as before and wiggled her hips against him experimentally as that heady feeling coursed through her again. “I kind of like it.”

Ben instantly stilled underneath her, his body as firm as stone. “Rey,” his voice held a note of warning. “Rey, you shouldn’t do that if you’re not ready.”

“I just,” her panties were still wet from the pool, but the friction of the material against the towel and his firmness was too enticing to ignore as warmth spread through her body and chased away the chill from the pool. “I just want to feel…” she trailed off as she reached up to kiss him, swallowing a moan that fell from his lips. She couldn’t help but continue to move against him rhythmically as the sensations shot up her spine and made her feel dizzy. “It just feels good.”

“Shit,” Ben gasped against her as his hips started to move against hers, increasing the pleasure into something scary but beautiful. “Fuck, Rey, tell me to stop. Please, tell me to stop or else. . .” He trailed off, sounding desperate and her body sang at the way he was making her feel, like little explosions were firing off under her skin. 

“Don’t stop,” she gasped as the towel around his waist shifted due to the friction, making her wet, flimsy panties rest flush against his boxers. The feeling multiplied tenfold as he let out another harsh curse. “Please don’t stop.”

“Rey, ugh,” he shifted his hips in a way that made her gasp sharply as she undulated against him with a sigh. “You feel so good.”

“Ben,” she sighed as the feelings started to build up into something she had never felt before as every nerve in her body felt electric. “Ben, I love you!” She shouted as the wave finally crested and her whole body seized in ecstasy against him, her hips moving faster in order to chase the feelings until they slowly ebbed away. She was panting heavily as Ben grabbed her hips and jerked against her once, twice more as he let out a final string of curses, panting heavily.

“I love you,” he gasped between desperate breaths of air. “God, Rey, I love you so much.”

She smiled as their eyes met once more and she pushed the damp hair away from his forehead. “I know it wasn’t what you expected. . .”

“No,” he grabbed her hand and kissed the knuckles before pulling her down into an all-consuming kiss. “No, that was amazing, Rey. That was perfect.”

“Thank you for making me feel so good,” she stared at him fondly, watching the love shimmer in his gaze and knowing that the same look was reflected in her eyes as well. “Thank you for this amazing night.”

“Rey,” he was still panting for breath as he sat up and pulled her in for a tight hug. “I should be the one thanking you. Thank you for trusting me.”

“I love you, Ben,” now that she had finally said the words it felt like it was the only thing she ever wanted to say. “I love you.”

He looked like he wanted to reciprocate the feelings again, but all of a sudden Ben’s cell phone began ringing from the other side of the pool, where they had left their clothes. Rey and Ben quickly looked at each other in shock and exclaimed in tandem, “What time is it!?”

“Fuck!” Ben swore harshly as Rey quickly got up and Ben ran over to his phone in a rush, still dripping water everywhere. Rey kept her towel tightly around herself as she joined him on the opposite end of the pool. She quickly discarded it and threw the sweater dress over her still dampened body to cover herself and bit her lip while the sound of Leia’s voice came through the speakers of the phone.

“Where are you Benjamin Solo?!” She wasn’t even on speakerphone but her voice could be heard as clear as day. “If you are not home in ten minutes I swear to God. . .”

“I’m on my way, Mom. I promise!” He pointed at the chaise in a panic and she picked up his clothes and passed them over to him while he struggled to get his pants on over his wet boxers, tripping over his feet. “I’ll be home in a few minutes.”

“You better be, young man!” The line cut out and Rey couldn’t help but giggle at the sight of Ben stumbling over himself to get dressed. She passed him each item of clothing quickly as he tried to put himself together. He kind of resembled a drowning puppy as he pushed back his wet hair and buttoned his shirt incorrectly. 

“Shit, she is going to see right through me,” he said as he pulled on his shoes. Rey was still holding his tie and his belt and shook her head fondly.

“If I never get to see you again, at least we got to share one amazing night together,” she joked lightly as she handed him his accessories and his coat.

“Wild horses couldn’t drag me away from you now,” he said, taking the items and pulling her in for one final kiss. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Good luck at your game!”

“Thank you Ben,” she watched as he booked it for the door like the hounds of hell were chasing after him, leaving her alone in the empty pool room, bathed in blue lights. With a laugh and a grin, Rey removed the sweater dress again and jumped back into the pool, laying on her back and replaying the entire evening to herself as she floated in her feelings for Ben Solo.

It felt like she was drifting in a sea of happiness before finally heading to bed with soaking wet hair and a blissfully full heart.


End file.
